Comparing RTK positioning from updated REGAM and MERISTEMUM CORS networks in Southeast Spain

For many countries, regional networks of Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) are the basic infrastructure to support the needs of users requiring positioning with centimeter-scale accuracy. However, nationwide NRTK (RTK Network) coverage is often not economically viable for countries with large rural regions. In contrast, for administrative reasons and social proximity sometimes several networks may cover the same territory. Reference station placement affects the quality of the positioning services and the cost of the network. Spain has a high density of regional NRTK networks. Indeed, the Region of Murcia has two such networks: REGAM and MERISTEMUM. REGAM uses the MAC (Master Auxiliary Concept) and MERISTEMUM uses the VRS (Virtual Reference Station), which are currently the most commonly used approaches to generate network RTK corrections. Control tests based on simultaneous determination of position have been performed in the Region of Murcia to analyze the performance of the REGAM and MERISTEMUM networks. The results confirm that both the VRS and MAC network solutions provide centimeter-scale accuracy: the positioning error for the test points inside the NRTK cells is lesser than 1.5 cm in planimetry and around 3.5 cm in height. The ambiguity resolution, the coverage and the connection to the networks services were highly satisfactory.