Expansion Strengthens Strategic Partnership, Meeting Growing Demand for High-Accuracy Positioning
SAN FRANCISCO and BONN, Germany, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deutsche Telekom, one of Europe's leading telecommunications providers, and Swift Navigation, a San Francisco-based company transforming how positioning technology is applied across industries, today announced the expansion of Swift's Skylark® Precise Positioning Service into Eastern Europe. Building on Skylark's commercial success across Europe and other global markets, the expanded coverage will now include Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia-giving regional and international customers access to reliable, safe, and cost-effective centimeter-level accuracy.
Skylark is a cloud-based service that improves the accuracy of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS, by up to 100 times-reducing errors from several meters to just a few centimeters. It is the only precise positioning service purpose-built to enable mass market adoption of high-precision GNSS by unlocking advanced, high-volume applications in autonomous driving, robotics, precision logistics, and V2X communication. Unlike traditional precise positioning technologies, Skylark leverages proprietary advanced atmospheric modeling, an AWS-based architecture, carrier-grade networks, and ecosystem-driven design to deliver unmatched scalability, cost efficiency, and reliability.
The expansion into Eastern Europe further solidifies the long-standing strategic partnership between Swift and Deutsche Telekom. In close cooperation with Deutsche Funkturm, Germany's leading tower company, Swift and Deutsche Telekom have co-designed, deployed, and now jointly operate the highly reliable network of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) that deliver industry-leading precise positioning services across Europe.
"Precise positioning has become essential in applications ranging from automotive safety and autonomy, outdoor robots such as autonomous lawnmowers, drones, construction, and fleet management," said Andreas Reich, Chief Product & Innovation Officer at Deutsche Telekom IoT. "With high demand throughout Europe, we are excited to expand Skylark's reach, supporting growth for current customers and opening new opportunities in Eastern Europe and beyond."
Skylark is the first and only real-time, cloud-based service of any kind certified to meet ISO 26262:2018 functional safety standards for road vehicles. Today, Skylark powers more than 10 million ADAS-enabled and autonomous vehicles worldwide and supports global programs for 20+ automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, leading robotics companies, and one of the world's largest commercial fleets.
"Swift is on a mission to build a safer, more productive future by transforming how we navigate the Earth," said Tim Harris, co-founder and CEO of Swift Navigation. "Deutsche Telekom has been a vital partner on this journey, and we are thrilled to expand our reach across Europe together."
To showcase Skylark's capabilities, Swift and Deutsche Telekom conducted a four-day, 2,000-kilometer drive test from Hanover, Germany, to Barcelona, Spain. Covering five countries and diverse environments-including dense urban areas, canyons, and tunnels like Mont-Blanc and Gotthard-Skylark achieved lane-level positioning accuracy for 97% of the drive, maintaining the high-integrity performance required for advanced vehicle autonomy.
ABOUT SWIFT NAVIGATION
Swift Navigation is a San Francisco-based technology company unlocking vehicle autonomy, robotics, precision logistics, and V2X communication with centimeter-accurate positioning-globally and at scale. Its Skylark® Precise Positioning Service delivers accuracy 100 times more precise than standard Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS. Skylark is the only real-time, cloud-based positioning solution with ASIL certification, meeting ISO 26262:2018 functional safety standards for road vehicles. Powering over 10 million ADAS-enabled and autonomous vehicles worldwide, Skylark is trusted by more than 20 automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, leading robotics companies, and one of the world's largest fleet operators.
Discover how Swift is enabling a safer, more connected future at swiftnav.com.
ABOUT DEUTSCHE TELEKOM
Deutsche Telekom is a multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Germany. The company provides a range of telecommunications and IT services and operates in over 50 countries. Deutsche Telekom is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, with over 245 million mobile customers, 25 million fixed-network lines, and 21 million broadband lines. For more information, please visit www.telekom.com/companyprofile
ABOUT DEUTSCHE FUNKTURM
Deutsche Funkturm is a key player in developing infrastructure for German mobile network operators, broadcasters, operators of radio relays, and the radio networks of authorities and other institutions. The company was founded in 2002 as a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom and has had the U.S. company DigitalBridge and Canada's Brookfield as additional shareholders since 2023. With a portfolio of around 35,200 antenna sites in Germany, Deutsche Funkturm is the largest operator of radio infrastructure in Germany. It is represented throughout Germany, and the company is headquartered in Münster. For more information, please visit www.dfmg.de/en
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0d8708fb-87cf-4b6b-97fd-1322fd5d9169
