From: jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 17:10:50 -0800 (PST)
To: "Mark M." <cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Cellular location...
Message-ID: <199701270110.RAA00824@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 07:54 PM 1/25/97 -0500, Mark M. wrote:

>I wonder how expensive it would be to put a GPS receiver in a cell phone and
>have the option to transmit the coordinates on a separate channel.  There
>would be little difference between this and forcing cell phone companies to
>triangulate every call.  The primary motivation for this is almost certainly
>"location escrow" to make it easier for the feds to track drug dealers.

It would only be marginally reliable.  GPS signals are so weak (coming from 
satellites in 11,000 mile orbits) that reception outdoors is sometimes iffy 
if the signals have to go through foliage.  Reception indoors is probably 
only rarely do-able.



Jim Bell
jimbell@pacifier.com