Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are widely used for navigation and
time distribution, features indispensable for critical infrastructure such as
mobile communication networks, as well as emerging technologies like automated
driving and sustainable energy grids. While GNSS can provide centimetre-level
precision, GNSS receivers are prone to many-metre errors due to multipath
propagation and obstructed view of the sky, which occur especially in urban
areas where accurate positioning is needed most. Moreover, the vulnerabilities
of GNSS, combined with the lack of a back-up system, pose a severe risk to
GNSS-dependent technologies. Here, we demonstrate a terrestrial positioning
system which is independent of GNSS and offers superior performance through a
constellation of radio transmitters, connected and time-synchronised at the
sub-nanosecond level through a fibre-optic Ethernet network. Employing optical
and wireless transmission schemes similar to those encountered in mobile
communication networks, and exploiting spectrally efficient virtual wideband
signals, the detrimental effects of multipath propagation are mitigated, thus
enabling robust decimetre-level positioning and sub-nanosecond timing in a
multipath-prone outdoor environment. This work provides a glimpse of a future
in which telecommunication networks provide not only connectivity, but also
GNSS-independent timing and positioning services with unprecedented accuracy
and reliability.Comment: 38 pages, 9 figures, 3 table