The analysis of the evolution of the network architecture and procedures for positioning devices in 2G - 5G mobile radio networks using base stations of the radio access network and additional infrastructure is presented. It follows from the analysis that the development of network positioning methods along with the evolution of the 2G - 5G network architecture entails an improvement in data exchange procedures for collecting and processing primary measurements when determining the location of devices. The trend towards virtualization of the network positioning architecture both in the user plane and in the control plane is shown, which helps to reduce the delay in the provision of geolocation services.