NextNav Inc.
10/23/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/24/2025 07:54
Navigating the World of Geolocation: A Comprehensive Guide to Key PNT Terms
Navigating the World of Geolocation: A Comprehensive Guide to Key PNT Terms
Elisabeth Jeffs
Published Oct 23, 2025
Every October 23, we celebrate International GNSS Day - a recognition of how Global Navigation Satellite Systems power the modern world. From navigation apps to critical infrastructure, GNSS underpins much of our daily lives. But as vital as these systems are, they can't do it all on their own.
At NextNav, we've spent nearly two decades advancing Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technologies that make GNSS more resilient, more reliable, and better suited to today's evolving needs. As we mark this year's International GNSS Day, we're not just celebrating what GNSS has achieved - we're looking ahead to the next generation of PNT and how it can complement and strengthen satellite systems with terrestrial innovation.
To help you navigate this landscape, we've compiled a glossary of essential PNT and geolocation terms.
GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)
GNSS encompasses all satellite navigation systems, including GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (European Union), and BeiDou (China). These systems provide global coverage and enhance positioning accuracy by offering multiple satellite signals.
PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing)
PNT stands for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing. It's a technology that provides precise location information, navigational data, and accurate time synchronization. PNT is the backbone of modern geolocation services, enabling applications in various sectors such as critical infrastructure, finance, and public safety.
Resilient PNT
Resilient PNT refers to systems and technologies designed to ensure reliable PNT services, even in challenging or disrupted environments. This includes measures to protect against jamming, spoofing, and other threats to GPS and other PNT systems.
GPS (Global Positioning System)
GPS is a satellite-based navigation system that provides geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver anywhere on Earth, provided there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. Developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, GPS is now a critical technology used in smartphones, vehicles, and many other devices.
Indoor Positioning System (IPS)
Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS) are technologies used to locate people or objects inside buildings where GPS signals are weak or unavailable.
Geofencing
Geofencing is a location-based service that triggers an action when a device enters or exits a predefined geographic boundary, known as a geofence. This technology is used in various applications, from marketing and customer engagement to security and fleet management.
Location-Based Services (LBS)
Location-Based Services (LBS) utilize real-time geographic data from a mobile device to provide information, entertainment, or security. LBS applications include navigation aids, social networking services, and location-based advertising.
Triangulation
Triangulation is a method of determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline. This technique is foundational in geolocation services and is often used in conjunction with GNSS.
APNT (Alternate Positioning, Navigation, and Timing)
APNT stands for Alternate Positioning, Navigation, and Timing. This term refers to systems and technologies developed to provide PNT services as a backup to traditional GNSS. APNT solutions are crucial for maintaining functionality in scenarios where GNSS signals are compromised or unavailable, ensuring continuous and reliable PNT services.
CPNT (Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing)
CPNT stands for Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing. This term means integrating multiple PNT technologies to create a more reliable and accurate system. By combining satellite-based systems like GNSS with terrestrial systems like NextNav's TerraPoiNT, CPNT ensures that PNT services remain available and robust, even in the face of challenges like signal jamming or interference. This complementary approach enhances overall PNT resilience and accuracy, making it indispensable for critical applications.
Terrestrial PNT
Terrestrial PNT refers to positioning, navigation, and timing systems that operate using ground-based infrastructure rather than satellites. For example, NextNav's next-generation technology solution integrates seamlessly into mobile carrier networks using its 900 MHz spectrum. Once deployed, cell sites broadcast a 5G standard Positioning Reference Signal (PRS), from which NextNav's application layer extracts accurate location and timing data. This creates a resilient terrestrial layer of PNT that continues to operate even when GPS is unavailable.
International GNSS Day is about recognizing the role of satellite navigation, but it's also an opportunity to expand the conversation from GNSS alone to a PNT ecosystem. At NextNav, we are driving that shift by:
Delivering a GPS complement and backup solution that adds resiliency at no taxpayer cost
Enabling critical applications for emergency response with accurate 3D geolocation
Partnering across industry and government to shape the future of resilient PNT
By broadening the understanding of GNSS and other PNT language, we can enhance the critical conversation around a system of systems. This International GNSS Day, let's celebrate the progress of satellite navigation and commit to building the resilient, complementary systems that will carry us into the future.
NextNav Inc. published this content on October 23, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 24, 2025 at 13:54 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]