Location Based Services
Location-based services
Location-Based Services (LBS) provide personalised services to the user on request, based on their current position.
This could include information on nearby restaurants, hotels or other location-specific content such as maps.
Whichever technology proves dominant, LBS is finding greater acceptance by operators and users. Early mapping applications were basic, but with 2.5G and 3GSM handsets, operators are able to provide much better quality mapping images.
Cell-ID
Many LBS applications establish the location of the user by simply identifying which base station the user is currently connected to – a technique known as Cell-ID. This basic form of location tracking is supported by all GSM handsets and is accurate to an area of between 200 metres and 1 kilometre.
GPS
A more advanced and accurate location technology is GPS (Global Position System). GPS uses satellites to fix the position of a mobile unit equipped to receive signals. Via satellite triangulation, a device equipped with a suitable chip can be pinpointed to its location to within a few metres.
The need for a chip inside the phone, adding to cost, weight and power requirement, made GPS a less desirable option, but better technology now makes it more attractive. GPS does, however, suffer delays (sometimes more than a minute) to get an initial fix on the location of a unit.
Assisted GPS
Assisted GPS (A-GPS) systems resolve the long delay that can occur in locating a unit. Data about the mobile unit is transmitted through the network, speeding up the process to just a few seconds. This advanced technique is being introduced in new GSM handsets. A-GPS is a well-proven technique already used worldwide for the accurate tracking of valuable assets such as shipping containers and high-value loads.
