Why a Mars colony eventually needs global positioning

Could a Martian work site use local visual beacons instead of a global positioning system?

Only at first; precision landings and expansion beyond one site would eventually require Mars-wide positioning and communications.

Local beacons are a workable starting aid for one defined site. The limitation appears as soon as aircraft, spacecraft, and remote systems must arrive precisely or operate at more than one location. A satellite positioning network would let operators coordinate those movements and expand infrastructure without treating every destination as an isolated navigation problem. The exchange shows how communications infrastructure becomes a prerequisite for logistical scale.