Madrid City Council has launched a contract for the supply and installation of a Bluetooth electronic beacon system that will allow GPS navigation throughout the city. M-30 tunnels.This measure, via Calle 30 in Madrid, could be operational in spring 2025, with a basic tender budget of 223,120 euros.
The aim is to solve the lack of GPS navigation inside the tunnels, a consequence of the lack of visibility of the satellites that allow for precise and continuous positioning through triangulation techniques, according to the newspaper ‘El Mundo’ and sources from the Works and Equipment Area confirmed to Europa Press.
The initiative therefore seeks to solve the lack of currently existing GPS repeater infrastructure, which is only capable of offering fixed positions linked to the positions of external antennas and which does not allow for smooth navigation. This is an electoral commitment made by the mayor, José Luis Martinez-Almeida, during the last campaign.
Following the study, the most suitable geopositioning system was chosen for the most extensive tunnel network in Europe and the second largest in the world after Tokyo.
The aim is to provide M-30 users with the necessary tool to move around as easily as possible, especially considering drivers who are not used to or familiar with the underground part of the M-30 ring. For them, the signage may be insufficient when it comes to guiding themselves through an underground mobility platform with so many lanes, branches, accesses and exits.
The work will mainly consist of installing Bluetooth electronic beacons inside the tunnel, at an approximate distance of 20 to 40 metres from each other. The installation will be carried out on the sides of the tunnel at the height of the cable trays using an aluminium support that will be fixed to the cable tray.
The beacons emit a Bluetooth-type location radio signal that identifies each beacon. During the system setup process, each beacon is associated with its position in the tunnel, allowing navigators to position the vehicle on the map.
The beacon system will provide a service to both users of the application Waze like Google Mapscompatible with the Waze system since last January. Both browsers hold a more than considerable share of the navigation market in Spain.
