Trimble has launched VRS Now service in the state of Florida. The commercial subscription service will provide surveyors, civil engineers and geospatial measurement professionals with instant access to real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning and high-accuracy Differential GPS (DGPS) corrections without the need for a field base station.

The service will deliver centimeter-level RTK and Differential GNSS (DGNSS) positioning customized for each Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) rover receiver's exact location anywhere in the network. The Trimble VRS Now service supplies fast, easy to use and accurate GNSS positioning for a variety of applications including surveying, urban planning, construction, asset management, transportation, environmental monitoring, resource and territory management, disaster prevention and relief, weather services and scientific research.

A subscription to the Trimble VRS Now service and a GNSS rover is all a user needs to begin surveying or collecting data with precision anywhere within the network. Surveyors and other users can switch on their receiver and real-time corrections are available in seconds. Trimble VRS Now works with nearly all GPS and GNSS survey instruments from a variety of manufacturers.

In addition to standard cell phone connection to the network, service in the Tampa-Orlando area also includes an innovative and powerful radio broadcast option. The low-band radio option provides further assurance to users, even in areas where cellular signals are limited or simply not available.

"Our Florida network is the latest network service implementation in a series of commercial GNSS Infrastructure networks from Trimble. Through increased productivity and lower project costs, Trimble VRS Now provides real business value to the local community," said Pierre Desjardins, business manager for Trimble's GNSS Infrastructure business area. "Our goal is to streamline the workflow of our surveying and positioning customers while increasing productivity."

The system in Florida includes a network of Trimble NetR5 GNSS Reference Stations equipped to receive broad-spectrum GPS and GLONASS positioning signals to maximize field productivity. Network corrections are calculated using Trimble VRS technology. With an initial coverage of nearly 50 percent of Florida, the users can now connect into the network using a wireless connection -- either cellular or Trimble proprietary low-band radio -- for fast, easy access to precise network RTK and DGPS corrections in most populated area.