The CGC Communicator Newsletter Web Posting

Following is a Letter to the Editor of the CGC Communicator dated June 6, 2007:

I am concerned about some inaccurate statements in the article referenced [by the CGC Communicator] in "NEW CELLPHONE SENSORS - BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND RADIOACTIVE" [CGC #795]. These statements are similar to those that I have heard from other people who should know better. These include the following:


Claim: "Cell phones that are now made have GPS technology,"Kelly said. "And, if you have a cell phone equipped with that, it can transmit the time and place of an event."
 
Response: Some cell phones have built in GPS's. CDMA carriers (such as Verizon and Sprint-Nextel) integrate GPS receivers into many of their phones for E-911 call tracking. Cingular and T-Mobile typically don't have GPS in their phones.


Claim: "The document says the sensors could be monitored through GPS technology or through a proposed method that may be more reliable and would measure how much time it takes for cell signals to hit relay towers. That information could then be used to triangulate the phone's position."
 
Response: That statement shows a complete lack of knowledge about the capabilities of wireless networks, which are already capable of providing precise location of mobile phones that call 911. This service called "E-911 phase II" is deployed thoroughout most of metropolitan areas in the US based on a Federal (FCC) mandate. This E-911 phase II technology either uses time-delay triangulation (for GSM networks) or GPS (for CDMA/W-CDMA networks).
 

Claim: "A primary problem, he said, is the issue of location. He said the tracking hardware in cell phones is only truly reliable outdoors."
 
Response: This is not true either. Triangulation technology works indoors and A-GPS (Assisted GPS) has been deployed to solve the indoor GPS coverage issue.

For more information on E-911 go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_911

Steve Webster
www.RFconsultant.com
206-372-1805

Posted and Edited by Steve Blodgett
Earthsignals.com