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Talk and Track: GPS Cell Phones

The recent increase in demand for improved 911 emergency calling capabilities has created a new crop of cell phones with GPS tracking technology. Consumer reports note that this leap was actually inspired by the events of 9/11. At that time, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had released orders that required all cell phone carriers to provide the ability to trace cell phone calls to a location within 100 meters or less.

Most cell phone carriers have since integrated GPS technology into their cell phone handsets as a means to conform to these new FCC requirements. This common move is taken as an alternative to overhauling the entire cellular tower network.

However, the cell phone GPS tracking in most mobile phones is not like those in your handy GPS receiver which allows you to take hiking in the outdoors. Most cell phones do not even allow the user direct contact to the GPS data. There are also some units that accurate location data is only recorded if an emergency call is made or if special arrangements are made with a location-based service provider (LBS).

There are more possibilities for cell phone carriers to provide GPS tracking services. In fact, there are now phones, fully enabled with GPS functions that can be used in conjunction with third-party location-based services. Nokia, Motorola and Beneflon are just a few of the companies now providing GPS-enabled phones.

Let's take a look at these cell phone GPS tracking devices one by one.

Finnish Nokia

Nokia recently announced plans to provide accessible Xpress-On GPS optional hardware for owners of Nokia model 5140 phones in North America. This Xpress-On GPS optional hardware provides location service applications over GSM wireless networks.

Motorola

Motorola manufactures a series of cell phone GPS tracking units for Nextel. In fact, these cell phone GPS tracking units include the Motorola i205, i305, i530, i710, i730, i733, i736 and the i830 iDEN(TM). Motorola reports that the GPS data is now much more available to users, due to new applications and programmability.

Nextel Phones

Nextel is now offering a number of cell phone GPS tracking solutions that can be used with the aforementioned Motorola phones. One of the most notable cell phone GPS tracking solutions that have been developed by Nextel is the Mobile Locator. Affiliates of Nextel have supplied other solutions, as have Mapquest, Trimble and other third parties.

Beneflon

The Track Pro and ESC are two cell phones with GPS tracking devices developed by Beneflon. These solutions are high-end cell phones designed for use in professional security and personal safety applications. Users of these phones enjoy a fully-functioning GPS unit that provides accurate location data without network assistance. It's important to note that while these are not Internet-enabled devices, they do have a number of features that are perfectly suited for interactive communication between the user and the service center. Additionally, Beneflon itself is a multi-band GSM wireless network phone that can be used in a number of countries around the world, making it one of the best choices of cell phones with GPS tracking equipment.

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Cecil Rushout writes for numerous popular Internet sites, on new product and outlet shopping themes. This and other unique content cell phone articles are available with free reprint rights.

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