We are entering a new era of positioning, navigation and timing. Global, instantaneous, and easily accessible positioning at better than 10cm is coming, which will provide new ways of doing business and create new businesses in areas such as augmented reality.

In recent years global Positioning, Navigation and Timing have been undergoing rapid technological development. New GNSS constellations (Galileo, Beidou) with new signal structures offer increased capabilities, while future positioning in Autonomous Vehicles and smart phones will be supported by advances in low-cost receivers.

The Canadian Geodetic Survey has been at the forefront of precise global positioning, working closely with partners in the International GNSS Service. The Canadian Spatial Reference System Precise Point Positioning service is used worldwide by engineers and geoscientists for precise positioning in the Global Geospatial Reference Frame. Canada also led the drive towards real-time, global and precise services that are now gaining widespread availability.

A next generation satellite-based augmentation service of this type is being introduced in Australia, promising "Ten centimeters for twenty-five million Australians". Similar services are coming in other regions eventually bringing precise positioning to all.

Global positioning from satellite on a dynamic planet requires continuous monitoring of the Earth's orientation in space and of the varying shape of the Earth itself. This foundational work is not seen by clients but is essential for the provision of global precise positioning.