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RTK correction services and NTRIP Casters in Italy
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✈︎ ArduSimple delivers to customers in Italy in 1-3 business days!
If you’re in Italy and need centimeter-level position accuracy, you’ll need access to an RTK correction service or NTRIP Caster via the internet. Below are the main options available, explained in a simple way so you can quickly choose what fits your project.
In order to access real-time services and obtain NTRIP credentials, you need to register on the website or send them an email. The registration process is not always very user-friendly, so it might take some effort. If you run into any difficulties, contact us – we’re happy to assist.
National RTK network in Italy
France has established own national RTK Network to support various high-precision GNSS applications within the borders. This is the recommended option, especially if your work needs to match official maps or legal coordinates.
| Service | Access Type | Region | Access | Accuracy | Coordinate System |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPOS | Free | Province of Trento | Register | High-quality service with absolute accuracy ✔ Recommended for any type of work in Italy | Regional ETRS89 |
| Rete GPS Veneto | Free | Veneto Province | Register | ||
| Marusi Network | Free | Friuli Venezia Giulia | Register | ||
| STPOS | Free | Province of Bolzano | Register | ||
| Liguria GNSS Network | Free | Liguria region | Register | ||
| SPIN3 GNSS | Free | Piemonte, Lombardia, Valle d'Aosta | Register | ||
| Campania Permanent Station Network | Free | Campania region | Register | ||
| Puglia GNSS network | Free | Puglia region | Register | ||
| Abruzzo GNSS Network | Free | Abruzzo region | Register | ||
| Sicily's GNSS Network | Free | Sicily and Southern Calabria | Register. Contact [email protected] for more information. | ||
| GPS-UMBRIA GNSS network | Free | Umbria | Register | ||
| Veneto GNSS Network | Free | Vanato | Contact [email protected] to register to the service |
In Italy, cadastral and official data are also based on ETRS89. This is great, it means you can compare cadastral data with the position output by the RTK receiver.
But if you want to compare with Google Maps is another story. Google Maps is using a global Coordinate system (WGS) to calibrate maps. There is an offset of 50 to 80 centimeter between a local coordinate system and a global one. To take measurements and compare with Google Maps is easier to use a RTK correction service using a global coordinate system (you will find them further down).
Free international RTK correction services in Italy
These free services are a good starting point, especially if you want to test or keep costs low. However, they come with some limitations, mainly in terms of reliability, accuracy, or coverage. You can use them to achieve centimeter-level accuracy in Italy if you are lucky to have a base station close to you (remember that RTK only works up to 35-50 km).
| Service | Type | Access | Accuracy | Coordinate System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTK2GO | Free global community-based network | RTK2GO coverage map ("View all" on the top right) Register | Network without quality of the service ✔ Great if you only need pass-to-pass accuracy and you don't need to compare measurements taken by other systems or with local maps. Community-based RTK networks are the cheapest way to go, but are maintained by individuals, so quality depends on the area. ✖ Not suitable for surveying calibrated applications. | Not standardized |
| IGS | Free global service | IGS coverage map Register | High quality service with absolute accuracy but low density of base stations. ✔ It is more reliable than community networks. You can use it to achieve centimeter-level accuracy if you are lucky to have a base station close to you. ✖ Limited coverage and low base station density. Check the coverage map to see if you have a base station nearby (remember that RTK only works up to 35-50 km). | Global ITRF |
| Earthscope (previosly UNAVCO) | Free (for non-commercial use only) global service | Earthscope coverage map register | Typically ITRF, but bases are in reginal frames | |
| EUREF | Free paneuropean service | EUREF Coverage map register | Reginal ETRS89 |
This tutorial walks you through How to connect to the NTRIP correction service (like RTK2GO) via PC.
Paid international correction services in Italy
If no nearby base station is available in free networks, if you require guaranteed service quality, or if your project demands reliable absolute accuracy aligned with a consistent reference frame, consider the following paid correction services in Italy:
| Service | Type | Access | Accuracy | Coordinate System |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| u-blox PointPerfect Flex | Paid service: from $5.90/month (up to 100 hours of use). Try it for free with PointPerfect 30-Day Trial (no payment needed). | PointPerfect coverage map and free trial. To help you register to the service, we prepared a tutorial. | 1 centimeter RTK, 2-4 centimeter accuracy RTK-SSR | Global ITRF |
| Swift Navigation Skylark | Paid service: from $69/month (1 cm RTK) or $29/month (sub-decimeter RTK-SSR, unlimited use). Try it for free with the Skylark 6-Month Trial (no payment required). | Skylark coverage map and free trial. To help you started, we prepared a tutorial. | 1 centimeter RTK accuracy; sub decimeter RTK-SSR | Global ITRF |
Set up your own correction service
If you didn’t find anything nearby you or you simply would like to become independent from any service, check out our ready-to-use all-band, full-constellation RTK Base Station. Setup is simple—just follow the User Guide: RTK Base station.
If you’re setting up your own base station in Germany for survey-grade measurements, make sure you configure your Base using ETRS89 geographic coordinates (latitude/longitude) and the correct ellipsoidal height. This ensures your results align with official maps and datasets.
Galileo HAS: a free option but lower accuracy compared to RTK
If 40 cm accuracy is sufficient for your project, you can try Galileo HAS, a free, globally available correction service.
- It works without the internet, NTRIP, or a local base station. While not as precise as RTK, it can still improve positioning accuracy. However, it takes up to 5 minutes to reach full accuracy, compared to just a few seconds with NTRIP.
- Galileo HAS uses the GTRF reference frame, which is closely aligned with ITRF global coordinate system (differences are typically below 3 cm). This means you will usually have to do a conversion to local coordinate system to compare measurements with other maps.
- Not all RTK boards are compatible with Galileo HAS. Here are GNSS RTK receivers that fully support Galileo HAS:
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- RTK3B Boards
simpleRTK3B Micro Unicore
From 276,00€ This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Post-processing (PPK) in Italy
If you are looking for post-processing (PPK) instead of RTK in Italy, contact us — we’ll help you find the most appropriate service for your project.
