OpenAGPS: Free Assisted GPS

OpenAGPS is an effort to build a free, open-source assisted global navigation satellite system that works with existing devices using the SUPL protocol. Satellite navigation can be slow to start because devices must first receive positioning data from satellites. Assisted GPS speeds up this process by obtaining supporting information from a network service, but that exchange can disclose a device’s location to the service provider. OpenAGPS aims to provide an alternative that helps devices get a position faster without relying on closed services operated by large companies, such as Google’s SUPL service.

The project intends to draw on crowd-sourced GNSS information and make privacy a central concern. It is still at an early stage, so its goals are not yet a finished service; the project plans to share progress and provides access to its code, development plan, and documentation. Its broader aim is to reduce dependence on major technology companies for location infrastructure and help make global positioning more open. Funding comes from the NGI Mobifree Fund, established by NLnet with support from the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet program, while Leaf Cloud sponsors the project’s hosting.