Qualcomm Technologies, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has announced the integration of India’s NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) L1 signals into select chipset platforms. This development is set to enhance location-based services in India across mobile, automotive, and Internet of Things (IoT) sectors.
- Qualcomm to support NavIC L1 signals in upcoming mobile, automotive, and IoT platforms.
- Collaboration with ISRO aims to boost NavIC adoption and improve geolocation capabilities.
- Qualcomm® Location Suite now supports seven satellite constellations, including NavIC L1 and L5 signals.
- Enhanced location services aim to benefit dense urban environments.
- Commercial devices with NavIC L1 support expected by the first half of 2025.
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc, in partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), today unveiled support for the L1 signals of India’s navigation satellite system, NavIC, in select upcoming chipset platforms. This move is aimed at accelerating the adoption of NavIC and improving the geolocation capabilities of mobile, automotive, and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions in India.
The integration is built upon Qualcomm Technologies’ expertise in location-based position technology. The Qualcomm® Location Suite can concurrently support up to seven satellite constellations, including NavIC’s L1 and L5 signals. This will enhance location performance, reduce time-to-first-fix (TTFF) position acquisition, and improve the robustness of location-based services, especially in urban areas where accuracy is often compromised.
Francesco Grilli, Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, highlighted the company’s commitment to India, stating, “We’re pleased to enhance our commitment to India by enabling support for the newly launched NavIC L1 signals in our chipset platforms. We continue our work with ISRO to further accelerate NavIC’s adoption and to enable more advanced geolocation applications with the latest NavIC technologies.”
Savi Soin, President of Qualcomm India, emphasized the company’s focus on India-centric collaborations, noting, “Qualcomm Technologies is focused on building long-term partnerships within the Indian industry utilizing our extensive engineering expertise and cutting-edge technologies to enable and propel India-centric innovations and use cases.”
Manish Saxena, Director of the Satellite Navigation Programme Office at ISRO, expressed pride in NavIC’s growing adoption, stating, “NavIC is a significant step towards using space technology for national development. ISRO is proud to see the increasing adoption of NavIC and is eager to bring the benefits of this indigenous solution to all users.”
The additional support for NavIC L1 signals will be available in select Qualcomm Technologies’ chipset platforms starting in the second half of 2024, with commercial devices expected in the first half of 2025. Qualcomm Technologies plans to demonstrate the NavIC L1 support in Snapdragon Mobile Platforms at the Qualcomm Innovation Forum event in Bengaluru in mid-December 2023.
