Grab Singapore has launched a new pilot programme that brings lane-level GPS precision to its driver- and delivery-partners, promising sharper navigation and smoother pick-ups.
In collaboration with OPPO, Qualcomm Technologies and Swift Navigation, this initiative marks Southeast Asia’s first deployment of high-accuracy GPS positioning integrated directly into a mobile phone and app experience.
From city canyons to centimetre-level clarity
Standard GPS accuracy can degrade beyond 20 metres in dense cities. Grab’s new pilot combines advanced hardware, chipsets and cloud-based correction signals, delivering positioning that is up to ten times more accurate than conventional GPS.
“Grab is the first to bring this level of precise positioning technology to ride-hailing in Southeast Asia. Driver- and delivery-partners will be driving with technology that is at the cutting edge. With advanced devices and precision GPS corrections working together, our partners can navigate complex urban environments more confidently, improving efficiency and unlocking new earning potential.”
Nilofer Christensen, Head of Consumer Product, GrabMaps
Four specialists, one precise system
- OPPO provides its Find N5 foldable phone, equipped with Dual Frequency GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)
- Qualcomm Technologies activates Meter-Level Positioning for Mobile within the Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform that powers the OPPO Find N5. This allows the phone to receive real-time GPS correction signals.
- Swift Navigation supplies its cloud-based Skylark™ Precise Positioning Service, which uses advanced atmospheric modelling and a network of ground reference stations to correct GPS errors and deliver up to 10x greater accuracy. In Singapore, Skylark taps into accurate GNSS data from the Singapore Satellite Positioning Reference Network (SiReNT), operated by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).
Through learnings from this pilot, Grab plans to extend the enhanced positioning capability to its proprietary Karta devices in the near future, ensuring that more driver- and delivery-partners can benefit over time.
Of course, GPS is only half the story in Singapore, where so many journeys disappear into basement carparks and underground drop-off points. No matter how precise your satellite fix is, signals will eventually fade as you descend beneath the surface.
To address this, Grab has been quietly mapping basements and carparks across the island using its proprietary KartaCam devices and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology. These maps, combined with advanced map-matching algorithms and a dead-reckoning system, allow GrabMaps to preserve turn-by-turn guidance even when satellites fall silent.
As of November 2025, basement carparks of key hotels such as the Mandarin Oriental, Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay and The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, as well as shopping malls including Marina Square, Millenia Walk and Millenia Singapore, have been mapped. The effort is ongoing and will progressively extend to more locations where GPS signals are typically weakest.
The pilot began in October 2025 and currently involves nearly 250 selected driver- and delivery-partners. Around 60 of them have been provided with OPPO Find N5 foldable devices sponsored by Grab and OPPO.
What it means for consumers
For passengers and consumers, the technology is invisible. You are unlikely to see a new button in the app, but you may notice:
- More accurate estimated arrival times, especially in dense districts.
- Fewer missed turns leading to circuitous detours.
- Driver-partners arriving at the correct entrance of a sprawling mall or hotel.
- Food and parcel deliveries finding the right apartment tower or drop-off zone more consistently.
In effect, lane-level accuracy helps ensure Grab’s services arrive where they are needed, not “somewhere nearby”.
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