# A Tutorial on 5G Positioning

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.10551 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.10551/

## Key facts

- Cited by 6 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 17 Nov 2023.

## Built on by (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [Large Wireless Localization Model (LWLM): A Foundation Model for Positioning in 6G Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.10134/) (2025)
- [AI-driven Wireless Positioning: Fundamentals, Standards, State-of-the-art, and Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.14970/) (2025)
- [Large Multimodal Model-Based Environment-Aware Mobility Management](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.09795/) (2026)
- [When Simultaneous Localization and Mapping Meets Wireless Communications: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.06995/) (2026)
- [Learning to Distributedly Estimate under Partially Known Dynamics: A Covariance-Agnostic Neural Kalman Consensus Filter](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.28441/) (2026)
- [Vision-Wireless Fusion for Multi-User Localization: A Cross-Modal Transformer Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.23372/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The widespread adoption of the fifth generation (5G) of cellular networks has brought new opportunities for the development of localization-based services. High-accuracy positioning use cases and functionalities defined by the standards are drawing the interest of vertical industries. In the transition towards the deployment, this paper aims to provide an in-depth tutorial on 5G positioning, summarizing the evolutionary path that led to the standardization of cellular-based positioning, describing the localization elements in current and forthcoming releases of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard, and the major research trends. By providing fundamental notions on wireless localization, comprehensive definitions of measurements and architectures, examples of algorithms, and details on simulation approaches, this paper is intended to represent an exhaustive guide for researchers and practitioners. Our approach aims to merge practical aspects of enabled use cases and related requirements with theoretical methodologies and fundamental bounds, allowing to understand the trade-off between system complexity and achievable, i.e., tangible, benefits of 5G positioning services. We analyze the performance of 3GPP Rel-16 positioning by standard-compliant simulations in realistic outdoor and indoor propagation environments, investigating the impact of the system configuration and the limitations to be resolved for delivering accurate positioning solutions.