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Fakultät für Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik
Studierende sitzt am Arbeitsplatz und schaut auf den Laptop. © Aliona Kardash​/​TU Dortmund

Ensuring cellular positioning performance: ComNets Dortmund presents latest research findings at IEEE PerCom

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© ComNets 2026
Our research was presented by Simon Häger by means of a 1-minute pitch in the teaser madness session along with intensive discussions at the poster.
Our research on positioning and sensing services in the scope of advanced wireless systems, such as future 6G networks, was presented at the IEEE Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications (PerCom) in Pisa, Italy.

This paper contributes to the IEEE PerCom conference’s focus on sensing technologies by exploring their potential for user positioning in private mobile networks. It thus aligns well with related research areas such as RF sensing, localization, and Wi-Fi sensing. First, we present one of the first studies on the 3GPP's high-accuracy positioning technology in private cellular networks, demonstrating that commercial systems can already meet basic industrial positioning requirements (Service Level 1), i.e., over 95 % of measurements in the trial area achieve an error below 10 meters using uplink TDOA-based positioning. Despite relying on this single positioning method along with communications-centric radio unit placement within challenging indoor conditions, most areas also meet Service Level 2 requiring 99 % of the positioning errors to be below 3 meters. The even stricter Service Level 3 is only achieved in limited zones due to stricter accuracy demands, but a median error of around 30 cm shows strong potential for improvement. Results indicate that optimized radio unit placement and additional positioning methods could further enhance accuracy. Moreover, this paper also extends the ComNets’ STING concept from the communications domain to the sensing domain, thereby illustrating the benefits for holistic 6G JCAS performance stress testing. In particular, STING-enabled field trials outline mismatches between pre-deployment network planning based on EM simulations and real behavior which, if unaddressed, could disrupt critical industrial operations on the shop floor as machines stand still due to insufficient connectivity or positioning/sensing service performance. Based on the STING measurements, data-driven mitigation strategies are realized such that the network is quickly optimized for the operational environment and service targets, leading to a stable industrial operation of future 6G networks.

Presented Manuscript

S. Häger, K. Heimann, C. Arendt, C. Wietfeld, "Value Beyond Communication: Indoor Positioning with Private Sub-6 GHz Cellular Networks," in IEEE Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops (PerCom Wkshps.), Pisa, Italy, March 2026. [pdf] [Details]

Acknowledgment

This work has been supported in parts by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) in the course of the PANGOLIN Networks project under the grant number 16KIS2357 and the 6GEM+ Transfer Hub under the grant number 16KIS2412, and by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MWIKE NRW) in the course of the Competence Center 5G.NRW under the grant number 005-01903-0047.