WPS (WiFi Positioning System) as geolocation technology

Asset management has become an essential element for companies and organizations, especially those that carry out operations in the supply chain. Obtaining information about goods in real time allows for improved decision-making, cost reduction, and market differentiation.

Understanding Asset Location

One of the most valuable insights is the location of assets. But how can we obtain this kind of data? The best known is GPS (Global Positioning System), a satellite navigation system that allows you to know very precisely the geographical location of an asset, especially when outdoors.

Exploring WPS

Although GPS is the most widely used system today, it is not the only one. In this post, we will focus on the WPS (WiFi Positioning System), a geopositioning option based on WiFi networks deployed worldwide.

How does WPS work?

WiFi networks always broadcast a unique address called BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier). These addresses are periodically scanned by different providers (Google is one of the main ones) to build global databases containing the exact location of each router.

Devices with a WiFi location system can read the MAC addresses of the routers around them to find the location of the asset being monitored. The information is sent to the cloud, where the position of the goods is estimated through the location and power of the various detected WiFi networks.

How accurate is it?

Although not the most accurate positioning system, WPS offers high reliability, with a deviation of between 20 and 30 meters at most. Accuracy depends on the number of WiFi networks in the area.

Optimal Use Cases for WPS

In which cases is it indicated to use it?

This technology works optimally in cities and urban environments, where WiFi network density is high, allowing for greater accuracy.

The use of WPS as geolocation technology is particularly beneficial in cities with large buildings, such as Hong Kong. In such cases, GPS may not perform well due to building height, but the high density of WiFi networks makes WPS a sensible choice.

What happens in low-density cities?

WPS is not recommended in low-density cities, as limited WiFi networks make position resolution difficult. In such scenarios, GPS or another outdoor geolocation system is advisable.

Battery Life Considerations

What is the battery life of the device using this location system?

The battery consumption of a device using WPS as positioning technology is reasonable. While dependent on other configurable elements, WPS consumes less than GPS, though more than beacon systems designed for indoor localization.