Skip to content

Location Provider

Network Survey offers multiple location provider options for location tagging survey data. Choosing the right provider balances accuracy, battery life, and use case requirements.

Description: Android’s FusedLocationProvider combining GPS + Network + Passive

  • Accuracy: 20-100m typical
  • Battery: Low
  • Best for: General monitoring, battery-constrained surveys, indoor/outdoor mixed

Pros: Most battery efficient, works indoors, fast fix

Cons: Less accurate than GPS, variable accuracy

Description: Direct GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/BeiDou satellite positioning

  • Accuracy: 5-20m typical
  • Battery: High
  • Best for: Accurate surveys, outdoor use

Pros: Most accurate, consistent

Cons: Higher battery drain, doesn’t work indoors, slow initial fix

Description: Cell tower + Wi-Fi positioning only

  • Accuracy: 50-200m typical
  • Battery: Very Low
  • Best for: Indoor surveys, quick location

Pros: Works indoors, very low battery, fast fix

Cons: Can be the least accurate, database dependent

Description: All providers simultaneously, logs from each

  • Accuracy: Best
  • Battery: Highest
  • Best for: Comparing providers, research, maximum data, best location fix

Pros: Maximum data, redundancy

Cons: highest battery drain

Settings → Location Provider

Select from dropdown - applies immediately to next location fix.

  • Outdoor Drive Test: GNSS or ALL (vehicle power available)
  • Indoor Site Survey: FUSED or NETWORK (GPS doesn’t work indoors)
  • Long-Term Monitoring: FUSED (battery efficiency)
  • Research/Validation: ALL (compare all sources)