Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Location™ capabilities demonstrated at Lisbon member event

At the Wi-Fi Alliance^® Lisbon member meeting (#LisbonWiFi22), members showcased Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Location™ technology using commercially-available infrastructure and devices. This was the first public demonstration of Wi-Fi Location™ technology by our members including Aruba, Google, and Samsung.

Wi-Fi Location delivers meter-level accuracy indoors. Wi-Fi Location-enabled networks and devices work together to deliver accurate location information with the benefits of Wi-Fi® connectivity and without the need for separate, location-based infrastructure or costly maintenance. Wi-Fi Location primarily uses ranging through the Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) protocol to locate a device within a network. A mobile device can use the FTM Range Request and Report to determine its distance from an infrastructure device such as an access point (AP). This allows the mobile device to locate itself.

Location capabilities demonstrated

During the demonstration, access points (APs) advertised their location coordinates and served as Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) responders, allowing client devices to determine their location on the floor plan. Wi-Fi Location-capable APs were provided by Aruba, and smartphones supporting Wi-Fi Location from Google and Samsung were used to demonstrate their positioning capabilities. Members on-site with personal devices that supported Wi-Fi Location were able to load ranging and navigation apps to experience the technology firsthand.

Wi-Fi Location-capable apps showcased in this demo included:

• Google’s ‘WifiRttScan’ ranging app
• Google’s ‘WifiRttLocator’ navigation app
• A specialized version of the Aruba Meridian navigation app using Wi-Fi Location rather than Bluetooth
• Aruba Utilities app which includes a ranging tab, showing range to FTM responder access points

“Aruba is honored to participate in the first public demonstration of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Location^TM using fine timing measurements. We’re committed to the success of Wi-Fi-based location and proud to have become the first infrastructure vendor to certify its products through the Wi-Fi Alliance Wi-Fi Location program. Wi-Fi is already present everywhere location is needed. By leveraging this technology as the foundation of our Open Locate initiative, Aruba joins Wi-Fi Alliance and our ecosystem partners in laying a foundation for indoor location services that is not only highly accurate but ultimately scalable across the entire global Wi-Fi footprint.” – said Stuart Strickland, Wireless CTO at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company

“Google appreciates the support of the Wi-Fi Alliance, Aruba, and Samsung in our demonstration of precise-location over Wi-Fi on a production network. We were excited to see how WiFiRttScan and WiFiRttLocator, contributed by the Android team at Google, could allow users to understand where they were in the Marriott conference center using the latest Android-based smartphones from Samsung and Google Pixel. Improved accuracy of location indoors opens up a variety of new use cases from improving wayfinding and awareness in a stadium, to improving product finding and capacity planning in a retail environment, to locating the right staff in a hospital. We are excited to see what developers create as the ecosystem grows.” - Sean Ginevan, Head of Global Strategy & Partnerships, Android Enterprise, Google   

"Samsung is proud to work with Wi-Fi Alliance and other leading companies on a public demonstration of Wi-Fi Location technology using commercially available Galaxy devices. As a leading innovator of connected mobile experiences, we developed location tracking algorithms for more accurate results, and as part of the upcoming 802.11az standard, we look forward to expanding the number of Galaxy devices that support these and future Wi-Fi solutions in partnership with Wi-Fi Alliance.” – JM Choi, VP of Connectivity R&D Group, Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics

The future of location beyond navigation

Wi-Fi Location not only improves the accuracy of location data for navigation purposes, it enables the creation of new, feature-rich applications and services. Wi-Fi Location can provide benefits to manufacturers, enterprise, retail, and healthcare markets through:

• Asset management: Tracking high-value mobile equipment
• Network management: Pinpointing where troubleshooting and maintenance are needed
• Geo-fencing: Creating virtual perimeters that trigger actions when devices move in or out of the boundary
• Hyperlocal marketing: Displaying alerts, product information, or special offers when a customer is nearby