NextNav
NextNav develops terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing technologies designed to complement GPS, especially indoors and in locations where satellite signals are weak or unavailable.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
NextNav, Inc. is a United States technology company focused on positioning, navigation, and timing infrastructure that can operate where conventional satellite-based systems are unreliable. Its principal technology is the Metropolitan Beacon System, or MBS, a terrestrial network that transmits precisely timed signals from strategically placed wide-area beacons. Receivers use those signals for trilateration, in a manner broadly comparable to the location calculations performed with GPS satellites, but with transmitters positioned on the ground and designed for indoor coverage. The company’s proposition is based on several limitations of satellite navigation. GPS and related global navigation satellite systems can be degraded or blocked inside buildings, in dense urban areas, underground environments, or during intentional or accidental interference. NextNav’s MBS signals use spectrum in the lower 900 MHz range and are intended to travel through challenging indoor environments more effectively than satellite signals. The system is also designed to require substantially less power than GPS for some positioning tasks. In addition to horizontal location, MBS supports high-precision altitude and timing, potentially allowing compatible devices to determine a user’s floor or elevation and maintain highly accurate timing during a satellite-navigation outage. NextNav has developed two principal service families. Pinnacle is a vertical-location service that uses barometric sensors in mobile phones and other devices, together with a managed network and pressure-compensation techniques, to estimate a device’s elevation at approximately floor-level accuracy. The service was commercially distributed in January 2021 and was made available through a partnership with AT&T. Reference material describes Pinnacle as covering more than 4,400 cities in the United States. The service has also been associated with AT&T FirstNet, the public-safety communications platform, for vertical location of first responders and emergency callers. TerraPoiNT is the company’s urban and indoor positioning service based on the broader MBS approach. It has been available in selected markets including the San Francisco Bay Area and McLean, Virginia. The company describes the technology as applicable to smartphones, connected devices, enterprise systems, public-safety services, and Internet of Things applications. MBS functionality can be added to multi-constellation GNSS solutions through receiver or firmware support, making it a potential complement to rather than a complete replacement for satellite navigation. NextNav’s technology has roots in public-safety and emergency-location testing. Its performance in emergency dialing conditions was demonstrated in a San Francisco CSRIC III test bed in 2012, after which the technology underwent continuing performance and standards work. The underlying signal technology was subsequently enabled in telecommunications standards associated with 3GPP Release 13 and OMA SUPL 2.0.3, and was made available under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory licensing terms. The company became publicly traded in October 2021 after completing a merger with Spartacus Acquisition Corporation, a special-purpose acquisition company. It later expanded its technology and spectrum position through the November 2022 acquisition of French geolocation technology provider Nestwave. In 2024, NextNav announced an agreement to acquire additional lower-900-MHz spectrum licenses from Telesaurus Holdings GB LLC and Skybridge Spectrum Foundation. It also petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for rulemaking concerning use of the Lower 900 MHz band for a terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing network and broadband. That proposal attracted opposition from parties concerned about interference with existing users of the band. NextNav remains an active public company pursuing terrestrial alternatives and complements to GPS, with its commercial footprint primarily in the United States.
History
NextNav emerged from work on terrestrial positioning systems intended to address weaknesses in satellite navigation. GPS is highly effective outdoors but can be difficult to use inside buildings, in dense urban environments, below ground, or in areas affected by interference. NextNav’s approach was to place synchronized transmitters on terrestrial infrastructure and send precisely timed signals through lower-frequency spectrum. Compatible receivers could then calculate their position by trilateration, using the known locations and timing of the beacons. The company’s Metropolitan Beacon System became the foundation of its positioning, navigation, and timing platform. Compared with satellite signals, terrestrial signals can be received more reliably in deep indoor conditions because the transmitters are closer to users and operate in a sub-GHz band suited to wider-area propagation. The system was also designed around lower power consumption than GPS for relevant use cases. A further feature was the integration of barometric-pressure information, enabling compatible devices to estimate altitude and, in buildings, identify a user’s approximate floor. The network could also provide highly precise timing, including timing intended to remain available in locations or circumstances where GPS is disrupted. Public-safety use was an early technical focus. NextNav’s performance in emergency-dialing conditions was demonstrated in the CSRIC III test bed in San Francisco in 2012. The company continued improving the system and pursued integration with communications standards. Reference material identifies support through 3GPP Release 13 and OMA SUPL 2.0.3, helping create a route for the technology to be incorporated into mobile-location architectures. The signal technology was made available under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms, supporting potential adoption by receiver and platform manufacturers. NextNav expanded its commercial portfolio through Pinnacle, a vertical-location service distributed in January 2021. Pinnacle uses barometric sensors found in many mobile devices, combined with network data and pressure compensation, to estimate elevation at approximately floor-level precision. The service was distributed in partnership with AT&T and was reported as available in more than 4,400 U.S. cities. Its public-safety relevance was reinforced through association with AT&T FirstNet, where accurate vertical location can help emergency responders and dispatchers identify the floor or elevation associated with a caller or responder. The company also developed TerraPoiNT for urban and indoor positioning. The service has been available in selected markets including the San Francisco Bay Area and McLean, Virginia. Rather than positioning itself solely as a replacement for GPS, NextNav has generally presented its network as an additional source of location and timing. Its MBS capability can be incorporated into multi-constellation GNSS processing, potentially allowing devices to combine satellite and terrestrial inputs according to availability, power requirements, and accuracy needs. The stated application areas include mobile phones, Internet of Things equipment, enterprise systems, indoor navigation, public safety, and infrastructure timing. A major corporate transition occurred in October 2021, when NextNav became publicly traded through a merger with Spartacus Acquisition Corporation, a special-purpose acquisition company. The listing gave the company access to public equity markets while it continued developing network coverage, device integration, and commercial partnerships. In November 2022, NextNav completed the acquisition of Nestwave, a French provider specializing in low-power geolocation technologies. The transaction broadened NextNav’s technology base and complemented its emphasis on energy-efficient positioning for connected devices. In March 2024, the company announced an agreement to acquire licenses covering an additional 4 MHz in the lower 900 MHz band from Telesaurus Holdings GB LLC and Skybridge Spectrum Foundation. The stated purchase price was up to $50 million, using a combination of cash and NextNav common stock. The licenses were in the same general lower-900-MHz range as NextNav’s existing spectrum holdings. In April 2024, NextNav filed a rulemaking petition with the Federal Communications Commission concerning the Lower 900 MHz band. The company argued that the band could support a terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing network that would complement and back up GPS, as well as broadband services. The proposal became a spectrum-policy issue because the 902–928 MHz range is also used by other radio, industrial, and Internet of Things systems. After the comment period closed in September 2024, opposition was reported from the American Radio Relay League and from the LoRa-oriented Meshtastic community. These objections focused on possible coexistence and interference concerns rather than on a corporate scandal. NextNav continues to operate as an active public technology company, with its principal commercial and network activities in the United States.
- 2024
Additional lower-900-MHz spectrum agreement announced
[1]NextNav announced an agreement to acquire licenses covering an additional 4 MHz in the 902–928 MHz range for consideration of up to $50 million.
- 2024
FCC Lower 900 MHz rulemaking petition filed
[1]NextNav petitioned the FCC for a spectrum framework supporting terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing, together with broadband uses.
- 2022
Nestwave acquisition completed
[1]NextNav completed its acquisition of French low-power geolocation provider Nestwave.
- 2021
Pinnacle distributed
[1]NextNav distributed Pinnacle, a vertical-location service designed to estimate floor-level position from barometric sensors and network-based pressure compensation.
- 2021
Public listing through Spartacus merger
[1]NextNav became publicly traded on Nasdaq after merging with Spartacus Acquisition Corporation.
- 2012
Emergency-location performance demonstrated
[1]NextNav’s terrestrial positioning technology was demonstrated under emergency-dialing conditions in the CSRIC III test bed in San Francisco.
Products and positioning
A terrestrial complement and backup to GPS, emphasizing reliable indoor positioning, floor-level altitude, low-power operation, and resilient timing for consumer, enterprise, public-safety, and Internet of Things applications.
Terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing network
Metropolitan Beacon System (MBS)
MBS is NextNav’s terrestrial alternative and complement to satellite positioning. A network of wide-area beacons transmits precisely timed signals that compatible receivers use for trilateration. Because the transmitters are ground-based and use lower-900-MHz spectrum, the system is intended to provide reliable indoor coverage in places where GPS and other satellite signals are blocked or weak. MBS also supports high-precision altitude and timing, with potential applications in mobile devices, public safety, enterprise systems, and Internet of Things equipment.
Vertical-location service · 2021
Pinnacle
Pinnacle provides vertical location, generally at floor-level precision, by combining barometric sensors in phones or other devices with network-based pressure compensation. The service was distributed beginning in January 2021 and was associated with AT&T. Reference material describes coverage in more than 4,400 U.S. cities. Its use cases include emergency location and public-safety operations, including deployments associated with AT&T FirstNet.
Urban and indoor positioning service
TerraPoiNT
TerraPoiNT is NextNav’s urban and indoor positioning service built around terrestrial beacon technology. It is intended for locations where satellite signals are unreliable, including dense urban and deep indoor environments. Reference material identifies availability in the San Francisco Bay Area, McLean, Virginia, and other selected markets. The service can support location, altitude, and timing applications across consumer, enterprise, public-safety, and connected-device environments.
Brand decisions
2024
Acquire additional lower-900-MHz spectrum licensesM&ABackground
NextNav sought additional spectrum in the same lower-900-MHz range used by its existing Metropolitan Beacon System network.
Action taken
The company announced an agreement to acquire licenses covering an additional 4 MHz from Telesaurus Holdings GB LLC and Skybridge Spectrum Foundation.
Aftermath
The proposed transaction was intended to expand NextNav’s spectrum position for terrestrial positioning, navigation, timing, and related services.
Purchase price. Up to $50 million (Announced March 2024)
2024
Petition the FCC for Lower 900 MHz spectrum rulesStrategyBackground
NextNav argued that terrestrial positioning, navigation, and timing could provide a complement and backup to GPS, while the Lower 900 MHz band could also support broadband.
Action taken
NextNav filed a rulemaking petition with the Federal Communications Commission on April 16, 2024.
Aftermath
The petition drew opposition from the American Radio Relay League and the LoRa-based Meshtastic community over coexistence and potential interference with existing users of the 902–928 MHz band.
- Meshtastic community — Members of the LoRa-based Meshtastic community opposed the proposal because they use the 902–928 MHz band.
2022
Acquire NestwaveM&ABackground
Nestwave provided geolocation technology with an emphasis on low-power operation, complementing NextNav’s positioning work for connected devices.
Action taken
NextNav completed the acquisition of the France-based provider in November 2022.
Aftermath
The acquisition broadened NextNav’s geolocation technology portfolio.
2021
Merge with Spartacus Acquisition CorporationM&ABackground
NextNav pursued a public-market listing through a combination with Spartacus Acquisition Corporation, a special-purpose acquisition company.
Action taken
The merger was completed and NextNav began trading publicly on Nasdaq in October 2021.
Aftermath
The transaction gave NextNav a public-company structure and access to public equity markets.
Recent events
NextNav raises $120 million in debt and equity financing[2]
Reported:
NextNav announced that it raised $120 million in debt and equity financing. Funds managed by Fortress affiliates led the round, with existing investors also participating.
Sources2 sources
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