Part 6/9:
Satellites play a critical role, not only in gathering enormous swathes of data but also in global navigation. The US operates its GPS constellation, but several other systems—such as China’s BeiDou and Europe’s Galileo—contribute to accurate geolocation. Devices need signals from at least four satellites to determine their exact location through a process known as trilateration.
Even in populated urban environments where signals may face interference, assisted GPS (AGPS) enhances accuracy using cell tower and Wi-Fi data. Meanwhile, real-time traffic data combined with historical patterns allows Google to dynamically reroute users, mitigating the impact of unexpected congestion.