Cloud GNSS receivers: New advanced applications made possible

The widespread deployment of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) is pushing the current receiver technology to its limits due to the stringent demands for providing seamless, ubiquitous and secure/reliable positioning. This fact is further aggravated by the advent of new applications where the miniaturized size, low power consumption and limited computational capabilities of user terminals pose serious concerns to the implementation of even the most basic GNSS signal processing tasks (e.g. as in Smart-City or IoT applications). This work presents a paradigm shift for the implementation of next-generation GNSS receivers by taking advantage of Cloud computing platforms, thus leading to the concept of Cloud GNSS receiver.