Why mobile phone location services don't work

I thought I'd try out one of the mobile phone location services available here in the UK. They don't work, here's why.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Mobile
• phone
• location
• mobile
• tracking
• tracker
• person

[bluetree3165]

Excellent, about time someone told the truth about these phone location systems

[Johnnypoprock]

I agree withbluetree3165

[EvilPaperclip]

I'm not sure why you are surprised. It can only give you a mobile "cell" location, not a GPS location because obviously the phones don't have GPS.

These services are about giving rough locations, like checking on staff who should be onsite somewhere and not home in bed etc.

[goodvibesjumper]

It's not that the service doesn't necessarily work, it might be the technology in the phone transmitting the coordinates. I have a blackberry 8800 which is extremely accurate, even indoors. I have written a custom application to track the phone, and it works extremely well. Of course the service will only be as good as what the phone is able to report.