- 5G connection signals can act as precise positioning sensors
- Location control can switch from devices back to providers
- The company reports sub-10cm accuracy without new hardware
Californian start-up ZaiNar claims it can provide highly accurate location data using existing 5G networks without relying on GPS satellites.
The company says its system works entirely from the network side, extracting detailed location information from the same signals devices already send to stay connected.
It says ZaiNar 5G Positioning does not require new chips, firmware updates or the cooperation of handset manufacturers.
No more GPS barriers
Unlike traditional 5G positioning techniques that depend on dedicated reference signals, the system uses standard uplink signals that phones and connected devices continuously transmit.
Because these signals are already required for connection, the positioning process does not increase battery consumption.
The company reports an accuracy of less than 10 cm under certain conditions, with a coverage of up to 1.5 km using modest spectrum resources.
“5G’s killer app has finally arrived, and it’s not theory, it’s implemented,” said Daniel Jacker, CEO and co-founder of ZaiNar.
“We are proving sub-10cm accuracy in real-world deployments across healthcare, construction, logistics and smart city applications. This technology transforms 5G from a faster pipe to true infrastructure to physical AI.”
Current mobile ecosystems are largely governed by operating systems from companies such as Apple and Google, which determine whether location signals can be shared with carriers.
In practice, this has limited network operators’ ability to offer precise positioning services directly.
ZaiNar’s approach shifts control back to the network by treating positioning as a core infrastructure function rather than a handset function.
If accurate, this change would allow operators and businesses to access location data from phones, vehicles, robots and industrial devices without app-level permissions.
The company claims this reduces dependence on device manufacturers and increases usability for private networks and industrial deployments.
It adds that this technology not only works in digital spaces but also works in real environments.
The company claims that advanced automation requires constant, precise spatial awareness across many moving objects.
GPS tracking often fails in certain scenarios, which is why governments have collaborated to secure GPS for critical infrastructure.
Vision-based positioning systems rely on clear lines of sight, while Bluetooth-based tracking systems are limited by relatively short operating ranges and signal interference.
The company suggests that 5G networks can fill these gaps by acting as a distributed sensor platform.
Commercial implementations are reported in sectors such as healthcare, logistics, construction and smart city projects.
If the technology works as described at scale, it could redefine how companies track phones and industrial devices across private and public networks.
However, wider adoption is likely to depend on transparent testing, regulatory clarity and sustained operator investment.
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