Google tests GPS-less mobile phone location service

The Mountain View, Calif. search company is testing out new technology that would pinpoint a users location on a mobile phone even though it's not equipped with GPS capabilities.

Obviously without a GPS, the location given would not be as accurate as some may have come to expect. However, Google hopes to use the location indicator phones already provide to at least offer basic location-based services through an improved version of Google Maps.

"While some people are lucky enough to have GPS-enabled mobile phones that provide location information for Google Maps for mobile, the vast majority of us are not," Google mobile software engineer Mike Chu said.

Tests of the service showed it to usually be accurate to within 1/4 to three miles of a user's location. Users would access the service, called "My Location" by pressing the zero key on enabled handsets when the software is loaded.

No personal data from the phone is sent to Google, only the ID of the cellular tower it is connected to. This database is currently under construction, so the system may not work in all cases.

It is this cell-tower ID that is used to locate a user's general location, and Google said that using My Location versus GPS service would work faster and more reliable indoors, as well as consume less battery power than GPS.

Data from about 20 countries is currently available, including the United States and in Europe. Although the service does work in some parts of Asia, China and Japan are not yet supported, Google admitted.

In order to download the beta software, those interested can text "MYLOCATION" to 33669, or visit www.google.com/gmm on their mobile browser. At the current time, only certain phone models are supported, Google said.