How All Satellite-based GPS Trackers Work

Interestingly, all the GPS trackers you can find on the market today are very similar. Although they may look different, or the price may be very different, they all share the same basic principles.

First, a little background about GPS or Global Positioning System. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a US-owned utility that provides positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services to users. It consists of 27 satellites located at an altitude of 12,550 miles above the Earth's surface, each orbiting the Earth twice a day.

The GPS system consistently provides high-performance and high-accuracy position and time information, thanks to the hard work of the men and women of the U.S. Air Force 2nd Space Operations Squadron and Air Force Reserve 19th Space Operations Squadron. Together, these highly skilled members keep GPS satellites flying 24/7, providing high availability and accuracy for both civilian and military users.

Every GPS tracker contains a very sensitive GPS receiver. Using trilateration, GPS receivers are able to determine position in space and time. Each GPS satellite continuously transmits precise time information that can be used to calculate the distance from the GPS tracker to the GPS satellite. Knowing that information travels at the speed of light, distances can be calculated (ignoring relativistic differences for simplicity). After calculating the distance from 4 or more satellites, the receiver is able to determine its position.

After the GPS tracker determines the location, it must transmit that information to the GPS tracking server. The server is hosted on the internet and receives real-time location information from thousands of GPS trackers. Typically, a GPS tracker will transmit its location information to the main GPS tracking server over a cellular connection. However, two-way satellite technology does exist and allows some GPS trackers to communicate where cellular infrastructure does not exist. Imagine a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean.

This location information is then stored in a database and made available to end users over a secure channel. Data is typically kept in the database for a few months to a year, depending on the tracking provider.

Hope this helps clarify some of the mysteries related to GPS trackers.