Obtaining access to location data from wireless carriers is reasonably
straightforward for location data in general. Developers of a
location based service "first negotiate a location data service
contract with carriers. The contract specifies a list of phone
numbers that a particular [location based service] is authorized to
locate." Each carrier has a proprietary protocol used to retrieve
location data from that carrier's network.
"Introducing MapPoint Location Server" by Michael Yuan, VSLive! San
Francisco (March 23, 2004)
http://www.fawcette.com/reports/vslivesf/2004/yuan3/
An example of a location based services agreement can be found at:
"Location Based Services Agreement" Teydo BV (2002-2005)
http://www.mobispot.net/mobispot/mobispot/uk/en/Content/downloads/partner_agreement_mobispot
As an alternative to negotiating directly with carriers, you could
elect to partner with other location based service providers. One
example is uLocate: "Partner with uLocate-the wireless LBS Authority!"
uLocate Communications, Inc. (2005)
http://www.ulocate.com/partner.html.
It is important to note that each carrier has not only proprietary
protocols for receiving location data, but the techniques they use and
the data they can provide differ based upon the technology of their
networks and the handsets used on their networks. A very brief
description of the various location techniques can be found at
"Interesting-People Message" (August 5, 2003)
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200308/msg00024.html.
The situation gets much more complicated with e911 data specifically.
You are correct that the FCC requires carriers to provide e911 data to
Public Safety Answering Points. "The wireless E911 program is divided
into two parts - Phase I and Phase II. Phase I requires carriers, upon
appropriate request by a local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP),
to report the telephone number of a wireless 911 caller and the
location of the antenna that received the call. Phase II requires
wireless carriers to provide far more precise location information,
within 50 to 300 meters in most cases."
"Enhanced 911-Wireless Services" Federal Communications Commission
http://www.fcc.gov/911/enhanced/
A definition of "... what constitutes a valid request from a Public
Safety Answer Point (PSAP) for wireless E911 service under the
Commission?s rules" can be found at "Fact Sheet: e911 Phase II
Decisions" http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Wireless/News_Releases/2001/nwl0127a.pdf.
"Enhanced 911 (E911, E-911, E 9-1-1) Resources" Palowireless
http://www.palowireless.com/lbs/e911.asp.
Section 222 of the Communications Act of 1934 is the relevant
legislation controlling what can be done with location-based
information obtained by telecommunications carriers. In general,
express permission to use location-based information for emergency
services is granted in subsections (f) and (g). However, customers
must provide express prior authorization for any other uses of
location-based information. At least some phones even offer the
capability for users to directly control whether or not location-based
data is provided for any circumstances other than enhanced 911:
"Interesting-People Message" (August 5, 2003)
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200308/msg00024.html.
Of particular relevance to your situation is that "Section 222 (f)
plainly forbids one type of commercial use -- the sale of information
about a crash -- so that those seeking to take advantage of an
accident will not hound an accident victim." "E911 and privacy:
keeping within the bounds of federal law" by Stephen N. Roberts ,
Wireless Business & Technology (May, 2003)
To avoid running afoul of this legislation, I believe carriers may be
unwilling to share information specifically resulting from enhanced
911 calls with anyone other than a Public Safety Answering Point
because the carrier has no way of necessarily knowing whether or not
the enhanced 911 call is providing automatic crash notification as
described in the law (the text for section (f) is published at the
following location. "FCC SEEKS NEW COMMENTS ON CUSTOMER CONSENT FOR
USE OF CUSTOMER PROPRIETARY NETWORK INFORMATION (CPNI), INCLUDING
LOCATION DATA" Wireless Location Industry Association Newsletter,
Wireless Location Industry Association (2001)
http://www.wliaonline.com/publications/fcccpni.html. Furthermore,
customers can provide enhanced 911 location data without having opted
in to any other uses of their location-based information. In the
absence of such an agreement, the carrier is prohibited from providing
location data for any purpose other than emergency services.
Therefore, to obtain general location data, you would need to arrive
at a location data service contract with each wireless network
provider or an existing location based services provider. However, I
believe that existing legislation may make it unlikely that you will
be able to obtain data resulting from enhanced 911 calls specifically
unless you qualify as a Public Safety Answering Point or are working
with a Public Safety Answering Point to provide emergency services.
If you are, then you might also be able to obtain enhanced 911
location data directly from a Public Safety Answering point.
Sincerely,
Wonko |
