Error Modeling and Performance Evaluation of 5G RTT Positioning Methods

Jialun Li, Bo Zhang, Shuai Zhang, Yanhong Kou, Chao Sun, Yingzhe He, Lu Bai

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	In 5G positioning technology based on time difference of arrival (TDOA), timing synchronization errors can impact positioning accuracy. In contrast, a high-precision 5G positioning method based on round-trip time (RTT) synchronization can effectively mitigate these errors. This paper analyzes and models timing error in 5G positioning and evaluates their impact on accuracy using simulations of Multi-RTT and TDOA methods. Various scenarios are examined to assess the effects of timing error, sign alto-noise ratio (SNR), and the distance between base station (BS) and user equipment (UE) on positioning accuracy. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the Multi-RTT method achieves significantly higher accuracy than DL-TDOA. When the timing error remains constant, a higher SNR improves the average positioning accuracy, whereas a longer propagation distance degrades it. However, as the timing error increases, the effects of both SNR and distance on positioning accuracy become less significant.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2026 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 26 - 29, 2026 Hyatt Regency Orange County Anaheim, California
Pages:	108 - 118
Cite this article:	Li, Jialun, Zhang, Bo, Zhang, Shuai, Kou, Yanhong, Sun, Chao, He, Yingzhe, Bai, Lu, "Error Modeling and Performance Evaluation of 5G RTT Positioning Methods," Proceedings of the 2026 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Anaheim, California, January 2026, pp. 108-118. https://doi.org/10.33012/2026.20532
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