Editing Location-based service (section)

==Applications==
Location-based services may be employed in a number of applications, including:<ref name = "sst"/>
* recommending social events in a city<ref name = "qr10"/>
* requesting the nearest business or service, such as an ATM, restaurant or a retail store
* [[turn-by-turn navigation]] to any address
* assistive healthcare systems<ref>{{cite journal
 | last1=Pourhomayoun
 | last2=Jin
 | last3=Fowler
 | year=2012
 | title=Spatial Sparsity Based Indoor Localization in Wireless Sensor Network for Assistive Healthcare Systems
 | journal=Embc2012
 | url=http://ws2.binghamton.edu/fowler/Spatial%20Sparsity%20Based%20Indoor%20Localization%20in%20Wireless%20Sensor%20Network%20for%20Assistive%20Healthcare%20Systems%20-%20Rev2.pdf
 | access-date=2013-04-30
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110165130/http://ws2.binghamton.edu/fowler/Spatial%20Sparsity%20Based%20Indoor%20Localization%20in%20Wireless%20Sensor%20Network%20for%20Assistive%20Healthcare%20Systems%20-%20Rev2.pdf
 | archive-date=2013-11-10
 }}</ref>
* locating people on a map displayed on the mobile phone
* receiving alerts, such as notification of a sale on gas or warning of a traffic jam
* location-based mobile advertising
* asset recovery combined with active RF to find, for example, stolen assets in containers where GPS would not work
* contextualizing learning and research
* games where your location is part of the game play, for example your movements during your day make your avatar move in the game or your position unlocks content.
* real-time Q&A revolving around restaurants, services, and other venues.
* tracking a [[NASA]] lunar lander.<ref name = nasa>{{cite web | url = http://sservi.nasa.gov/articles/crowdoptic-enhance-launch-and-tracking-lunar-lander/ | publisher = NASA | title = CrowdOptic Enhances Launch and Tracking of Lunar Lander | access-date = 26 October 2016}}</ref>
* sending a mobile caller's location during an emergency call using [[Advanced Mobile Location]]

For the carrier, location-based services provide added value by enabling services such as:
* ''Resource tracking with dynamic distribution''. Taxis, service people, rental equipment, doctors, fleet scheduling.
* ''Resource tracking''. Objects without privacy controls, using passive sensors or RF tags, such as packages and train boxcars.
* ''Finding someone or something''. Person by skill (doctor), business directory, navigation, weather, traffic, room schedules, stolen phone, emergency calls.
* ''Proximity-based notification (push or pull)''. Targeted advertising, buddy list, common profile matching (dating).
* ''Proximity-based actuation (push or pull)''. Payment based upon proximity (EZ pass, toll watch), automatic airport check-in.

In the [[United States|U.S.]] the [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]] requires that all carriers meet certain criteria for supporting location-based services (FCC 94–102). The mandate requires 95% of handsets to resolve within 300 meters for network-based tracking (e.g. triangulation) and 150 meters for handset-based tracking (e.g. GPS). This can be especially useful when dialing an [[emergency telephone number]] – such as [[E911|enhanced 9-1-1]] in [[NANP|North America]], or [[1-1-2|112]] in [[Europe]] – so that the operator can dispatch emergency services such as [[emergency medical services]], [[police]] or [[firefighters]] to the correct location. CDMA and iDEN operators have chosen to use GPS location technology for locating emergency callers. This led to rapidly increasing penetration of GPS in iDEN and CDMA handsets in North America and other parts of the world where CDMA is widely deployed. Even though no such rules are yet in place in Japan or in Europe the number of GPS-enabled GSM/WCDMA handset models is growing fast. According to the independent wireless analyst firm [[Berg Insight]] the attach rate for GPS is growing rapidly in GSM/WCDMA handsets, from less than 8% in 2008 to 15% in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.berginsight.com/ReportPDF/ProductSheet/bi-gps4-ps.pdf |title=Berg Insight – GPS and Mobile Handsets |access-date=2010-04-28 |archive-date=2010-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414124613/http://www.berginsight.com/ReportPDF/ProductSheet/bi-gps4-ps.pdf }}</ref>

As for economic impact, location-based services are estimated to have a $1.6 Trillion impact on the US economy alone.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcg.com/documents/file109372.pdf |title=The Boston Consulting Group – Geospatial Services: A $1.6 Trillion Growth Engine for the U.S. Economy |access-date=2014-04-04 |archive-date=2014-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407091803/http://www.bcg.com/documents/file109372.pdf }}</ref>

European operators are mainly using [[Cell ID]] for locating subscribers. This is also a method used in Europe by companies that are using cell-based LBS as part of systems to recover stolen assets. In the US companies such as [[Rave Wireless]] in New York are using GPS and triangulation to enable college students to notify campus police when they are in trouble.

===Comparison of location tracking apps for mobile devices===
Currently there are roughly three different models for location-based apps on mobile devices.  All share that they allow one's location to be tracked by others. Each functions in the same way at a high level, but with differing functions and features.  Below is a comparison of an example application from each of the three models.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Function !! [[Google Latitude]] !! [[Find My Friends]] !! [[Nearby]]
|-
| Operating systems supported || [[iOS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[BlackBerry OS]], [[Windows Mobile]], [[Symbian S60]] || [[iOS]], [[iPadOS]], [[macOS]] || [[Windows Phone]], [[Windows Mobile]], Windows 8, [[iOS]], [[Facebook]]
|-
| [[Web application]] available || {{Yes}} || {{No}} || {{Yes}}
|-
| [[End-to-end encryption]] (location kept secret from service provider and others)
<ref>
{{cite web
| url = https://support.apple.com/guide/security/find-my-security-sec6cbc80fd0/web
| title = Find My security
| date = 18 February 2021
| website = apple.com
| publisher = Apple Inc.
| access-date = 25 August 2023
| quote = }}
</ref>
 || || {{Yes}} ||
|-
| User identification || [[Google Account]] || [[Apple ID]] || [[Facebook]]
|-
| Update frequency of location || Dynamically periodic || On demand by remote user || On demand by remote user
|-
| Stale location behaviour || Last reported location || Unknown location || Last reported location
|-
| Location history || Optional, visible only to tracked user || {{No}} || {{No}}
|-
| Temporary location sharing || {{Yes}} || {{Yes|Yes, multiple users with expiry date & time}} || {{No|No, always shared}}
|-
| Bilateral sharing of location with friends || {{Yes|Yes, by default}} || {{No|No, by default}} || {{Yes|Yes, mandatory}}
|-
| Precision levels configurable on a per-friend basis || Best location, city-level or hidden || Best location only || Best location only
|-
| Manually configure location || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}} || {{Yes}}
|-
| Check into nearby place || {{Yes}} || {{No}} || {{No}}
|-
| Custom location labels || {{No}} || {{Yes}} || {{No}}
|-
| Source of friends' names and photos || Friends' [[Google profile]]s || User's own contacts stored locally on device || [[Nearby]] Profile
|-
| Maximum distance calculated to friends' locations || 5000 miles || Infinite || Infinite
|}