Anyone who has traveled through the M-30 tunnels and tried using Google Maps and Waze in them has verified this these services do not work internally. And of course, this is the most logical thing in the world, because both services are based on the function of global positioning, which of course depends on the signal constantly broadcast to the surface of the Earth by a network of satellites. The problem, of course, is that these signals cannot be received underground.

The problem, and practically everyone who has traveled them will recognize it, is that The M-30 tunnels are somewhat complex, That’s why it’s very easy not to realize what your exit is until the last moment, to doubt whether to fork right or left… in short, they have their own little thing and thus effectively are exactly the scenario in which it would be ideal to be able to use Google Maps and Waze to get timely directions on the route you should follow.

So I know quite a few people, both from Madrid and people who come to the capital from time to time by car, who They prefer to walk the streets with what that entails rather than use the network of tunnels which is actually quite effective. And even as a driver I admit that even I myself in some cases doubted whether I should take them or not, when I should have done it, I had to take an exit that I did not clearly identify. Fortunately, however, that seems to be about to change.

According to Europa Press Madrid City Council to install beacons in M-30 tunnels to allow use of Google Maps and Waze location services. Specifically, we are talking about beacons with Bluetooth connectivity (so we understand that it will be necessary to have this connection activated on the devices on which we use both applications), located on both sides and with distances between them that will vary from 20 to 40 meters and that thanks to a unique identifier, it will allow (probably in combination with an accelerometer) to constantly determine the position of the vehicle.

Beacons for assisted navigation indoors are not a particularly new technology, we have known about projects for their implementation in the most diverse spaces for years. However, this is the most significant project we have seen in our country so farand which, in addition, has a fairly reasonable implementation period, since the tendering process for its implementation has just started and the city council plans to put it into operation in the spring of 2025.