The European Union has introduced a free global positioning system that it claims is almost five times more accurate than the US system currently in use.


The US military-run GPS system, in widespread use across the globe, offers a 10 meter (32 feet) accuracy level, but EGNOS promises to fine tune this experience and deliver accuracy levels to around 2 meters (6 feet).


The EU sees various uses for its more accurate GPS system, which was in testing mode since 2006. Farmers would benefit from precision spraying fertilisers, and blind people could have personal guides. It could automatically charge road tolls or pay per use car insurance.

It is also expected that the next generation of GPS-enabled smartphones such as the Apple iPhone, Palm Pre or Google Android devices, will benefit from the improved accuracy of EGNOS. Some standalone GPS devices might soon use EGNOS as well, given that the manufacturers release firmware updates to support the system.



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