On 15 Dec 2005 7:50:7 -0500, "Ash Wyllie" wrote:

Roger opined

On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 13:52:45 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

In a previous article, "Andrew Sarangan" said:
If the cellphone is able to transmit its GPS co-ordinates, surely it
should also be able to give that same information to the user.

Some of them can. A friend has a cell phone that one of the better hidden


menu items is to make the GPS data private - if you don't select it, the

No they can't.
It's a government mandated provision for enhanced 911 operation. This
is what's been driving the VOIP providers nuts. The GPS *along* with
the tower data is supposed to give your position within so many feet,
both vertically and horizontally and it best be there. It comes up
at the 911 center when you call. It saves time. I've called in a
number of wrecks and it took time to give a detailed location report.
With enhanced 911 they would have only verified that I was who the
phone number said I was and all I'd have to do would be say, "yes"
when they asked for the location verification.

My biggest question is how long before the government orders cell phone makers
to include a no ring "what is your current location?" option? Sure make it
easier to keep track of troouble makers.

What do you mean when or how long?

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

-ash
Cthulhu in 2005!
Why wait for nature?