Telecom companies and wireless device manufacturers are warning customers that older phones and tablets may require a software update—or even need to be replaced—to ensure they are providing accurate Global Positioning Service (GPS) location information. Poor GPS information can affect the performance of CoPilot, and a few Trimble MAPS customers have reported issues with navigation.
The problem is caused by an event known as the GPS Week Number Rollover. GPS uses a week counter that enables receivers to calculate the current date, which is necessary for an accurate location. On older devices, that counter resets to zero about every 20 years, which impacted some devices on April 6, and others on Nov. 3.
The problem may impact devices built in 2016 or earlier, according to Verizon Wireless, while Apple says it impacts its devices "introduced in 2012 and earlier."
To address the problem, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommends that you:
- Take an Inventory of where GPS receivers are found in your company.
- Determine the manufacturer, make, model and if any devices were built before 2010.
- Contact the manufacturer (or review its website) for recommendations to update firmware, software or hardware, if necessary.
If you need assistance with CoPilot, please click on the Submit Ticket button at the top of this screen to reach our Technical Support team.
