Introduction
As part of the continuous improvements to the u-blox A-GNSS service, u-blox has released the new AssistNow service with two variants: Live Orbits and Predictive Orbits. The new release is available to all u-blox GNSS receivers and implements a freemium model.
Upon registration of the device on the Thingstream service delivery platform, the Predictive Orbits variant is included in the price of the GNSS receiver at no additional cost. The Live Orbits variant, which offers premium performance, is available for purchase on a pay-as-you-go basis. For select GNSS receiver models, the Live Orbits variant is also available as bundle included in the hardware price and provides lifetime service access.
Business model and pricing
Is the new AssistNow offer free?
The new AssistNow consists of two variants and follows a freemium model. AssistNow Predictive Orbits is free of charge and delivers orbit predictions, achieving improved time-to-first-fix (TTFF). AssistNow Live Orbits is the paid variant, providing the best position accuracy and TTFF for the most challenging signal condition. More information is available in the AssistNow guide.
Why is AssistNow Live Orbits not free of charge as well?
Live Orbits relies on continuously updated, time-sensitive information, which demands greater back-end resources and low-latency data distribution to ensure consistent performance across global deployments.
By offering Predictive Orbits for free and Live Orbits as a premium option, u-blox is able to support a wide range of use cases, from cost-sensitive, low-power applications to those requiring near-instant, high-accuracy fixes.
How can I get the free variant of AssistNow?
To get access to AssistNow Predictive Orbits, you will need:
- A u-blox receiver that supports AssistNow Predictive Orbits
- An account and Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) Profile on the Thingstream service delivery platform (see AssistNow Getting Started Guide)
How much does the AssistNow Live Orbits service cost?
AssistNow Live Orbits is offered with a pay-as-as-you-go pricing plan. With this model, you pay only for the aggregated service requests generated by all your device fleet. You can find the pricing details on the price page.
Some u-blox GNSS receivers are offered bundled with the AssistNow Live Orbits service. If you purchase one of these receiver models, you can use the Live Orbits variant without additional payment. The list of GNSS receivers is available in the AssistNow user guide.
Is AssistNow Predictive Orbits free only for a limited time?
No, it’s a permanent offer.
AssistNow Online/Offline
How can I get a new token to access AssistNow Online/Offline?
Starting with the launch of the new AssistNow Predictive / Live Orbits service, u-blox does not distribute new tokens for AssistNow Online/Offline any longer. Only designs with the new service are supported.
I already have a token for AssistNow Online/Offline. Can I still use it?
Yes, you can still use it to access to AssistNow Online/Offline (depending on the active subscription). You are invited to review the information provided in the AssistNow PCN about the Developer tokens.
I am currently paying for AssistNow Offline. Should I continue to pay for the service?
Yes, you will continue to pay, unless you migrate your fleet (for supported products only) to the new AssistNow Predictive Orbits service.
My token has been deactivated. How can I reactivate it?
At the launch date of the new AssistNow service, all Developer tokens that were inactive in the last 2 months have been deactivated and cannot be reactivated. If you need support, please contact services-support@u-blox.com.
Are AssistNow Online/Offline in End Of Life (EOL)?
No, AssistNow Online/Offline are not in EOL and can continue to be used.
Transitioning to Live/Predictive Orbits
Is an active AssistNow Online/Offline customer forced to move to the new AssistNow Live Orbits or Predictive Orbits?
No, for existing designs customers can continue to use the current implementation and service.
Offline/Online Developer tokens will be deactivated in mid 2028 as stated in the PCN.
I am currently using AssistNow Online. Can I migrate to the new service release?
Yes, as long as the prerequisites are fulfilled, you can migrate all your active devices to the new service release.
Which are the prerequisites for using AssistNow Live Orbits and Predictive Orbits?
The prerequisites are:
- A u-blox GNSS receiver (chip or module)
- An account (domain) in the Thingstream service delivery platform. Sign-up is free of charge. If you do not have a domain, get one by signing up at https://portal.thingstream.io/
- A GNSS receiver that is registered in the Thingstream service delivery platform according to the procedure explained in the User guide
Technical FAQ
Why should I use AssistNow?
AssistNow enables battery-operated devices to achieve the shortest time-to-first-fix in urban canyons or under other weak GNSS signal conditions, minimizing the GNSS receiver power consumption by 90% to get a first position fix. For powered devices that continuously move across different environments, AssistNow maximizes the probability of a GNSS fix, even in the most challenging conditions
Can I use a service-to-service access?
If your devices are unable to access the service directly and need to get the assistance data via your own platform, please get in touch with services-support@u-blox.com to discuss options.
Is the device registration procedure mandatory?
Yes, each device needs to get its own credential (Chipcode) to get access to the service through Zero Touch Provisioning.
Can I do the device registration at the production line?
The device registration requires the input of the GNSS receiver’s unique identifier and the hardware and firmware version. If you can gather this information during production and have a connection to the u-blox service delivery platform, device registration can happen during production.
What are the Klobuchar Ionospheric corrections?
Klobuchar correction mitigates the effect of Ionospheric delay, which is one of the largest sources of error in GNSS positioning. You can get more information in the Service specification section of the AssistNow user guide.
Does u-center 2 support AssistNow Predictive and Live Orbits?
Yes, please get the latest version. It’s worth noting that u-center (version 1) does not support the new service.
Can I use AssistNow without registering in the Thingstream service delivery platform?
This is possible only for the initial evaluation and only if you are using an Evaluation Kit (EVK) and u-center 2. Any other testing or production set-up requires sign-up on the Thingstream platform and the GNSS registration procedure.
Can I evaluate the service before starting payments?
You can evaluate the service using the evaluation device profile, which allows access to Live Orbits and Predictive Orbits free of charge (see usage limitation in the user guide) for up to 3 devices.
Please reach out to u-blox services support, if the usage limitations are too stringent for your project.
Which GNSS receivers support AssistNow Live Orbits and Predictive Orbits?
All u-blox receivers.
I am using an M8 GNSS receiver. Can I use AssistNow Live Orbits or Predictive Orbits?
Yes.
Is an SDK available?
The AssistNow C Client Toolkit is now available in the Download section in the Thingstream portal and supports both Predictive Orbits and Live Orbits. The client is not backward compatible with AssistNow Online/Offline.
The Client toolkit includes the device registration procedure, as well as A-GNSS data retrieval and injection in the GNSS receiver.
Can I share the Chipcode across multiple devices?
No, the Chipcode is bound to the GNSS receiver and cannot be used across multiple devices.
Can I register a GNSS receiver multiple times, if I lose the Chipcode?
Yes, the registration procedure for the same GNSS receiver can be repeated multiple times under the same Thingstream domain and with the same ZTP device profile.
I already have a token for AssistNow Online/Offline. Can I use it to access the new AssistNow Live Orbits and Predictive Orbits service?
No, you cannot. The Online/Offline token is not supported by the new service.
Can I use AssistNow with the multi-band u-blox GNSS receiver?
Yes.
Can I use AssistNow with non u-blox GNSS receivers?
No, AssistNow uses a proprietary protocol.
Other FAQ
Which SLA (service level agreement) is provided with AssistNow?
To get more information about the SLA, you are invited to read the Service terms, available for download in the Thingstream service delivery platform. If you need a premium SLA, please contact services-support@u-blox.com.
What does “lifetime” access mean?
u-blox grants access to the AssistNow service to every customer that requests it through the Thingstream platform and accepts the Service Terms.
When using bundles, AssistNow can be used or the entire device lifetime without being asked for additional payment. u-blox may terminate the provision of Services according to the conditions specified in the AssistNow Service terms.