Location Services

Cellphone carriers will soon be able to figure out, within 100 meters where you, a cellphone user, are. The first application of this technology is called Emergency Location Services (or E911). What this means is that if you dial 911 in the United States on your cellphone, the operator will know where you are and be able to send help. There are two basic technologies currently being adopted; E-OTD (Enhanced Observed Time Difference) uses a software-enabled cellphone handset and cell sites to calculate your location. GPS (Global Positioning Systems) relies on a chip being installed in the cellular phone and orbiting satellites to determine position. From October 1, 2001, the FCC mandated 50% of all the new cellphone activations in the United States should be equipped with location services.

Within the two broad categories of cellphone location technology, there are a number of technologies available for determining a caller’s location after initiating a 911 call from a mobile handset, but the state of their development differs. We will explore a partial list of these in the next few days. Stay tuned!