Ask The Expert

Topic: Location-Based Services

by Will Cousins

About Our Expert
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How is the privacy of a user taken care of in location-based services?

There are no comprehensive technical solutions deployed in carrier networks today, but carriers, suppliers, and regulators agree that privacy is of the utmost importance for customer adoption of location-based services. The CTIA has called on the FCC to create specific rules around wireless location privacy. The CTIA proposal says a technical solution must include notice, consent, security, and be technology neutral.

Will the service provider be able to trace the user without the user noticing?

Potentially, yes, which is why a technical solution and industry guidelines for privacy are needed.

Can users use a commercial service and be billed without revealing their identity (MSISDN)?

That would depend on the type of service, but potentially yes.

What kind of location-based services are available today?

E911 is currently the most widely deployed location-based service in the US; roughly 7 million subscribers are currently "live". In Europe there are various "where's the nearest" services live today.

Is the location data accurate enough for me to find a friend in the city?

That depends on the precision needed to find that friend. Does the friend finder application require precision within 500 meters, 100 meters, or 5 meters? Using cell site and sector in an urban area, we can locate someone within a block. As carriers upgrade to triangulation methods, we will be able to pinpoint phone location.

About Our Expert: Will Cousins is the Product Development Manager for the Location Platform at Xypoint Corporation.