LBS

Location Based Services (LBS) Knowledge of the 'Location' of a user is the most valuable asset of a wireless service provider. Using this information a service provider can offer several very useful value-added services to its subscribers to not only gain customer loyalty but also increase its profitability. Such services which are based on location of a mobile user are known as Location Based Services (LBS).

The technology behind LBS is 'positioning' and the most widely recognized system for this is Global Positioning System (GPS). However there are other means of positioning in addition to GPS, such as network based positioning that is based on various means of triangulation of the signal from cell sites serving a mobile phone. The serving cell site can be used as a broad location of the user.

Then the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provides the tools to administer base map data such as man made structures (streets, buildings) and terrain (mountains, rivers). GIS is also used to manage point-of-interest data such as location of hospitals, petrol pumps, restaurants, etc. GIS information also includes information about the radio frequency characteristics of the mobile network. This allows the system to determine the serving cell site of the user.

It is not enough to be able to position the mobile user and know the map data around that position. There must be a location management function to process positioning and GIS data on behalf of LBS applications. The Location Management Function (LMF) acts as a gateway and mediator between positioning equipment and LBS infrastructure.

There are four major categories of Location Based Services (LBS) - Location based information, Location sensitive billing,
Emergency services and Tracking.

Location based information
The LBS application would interact with other location technology components to determine the user's location and provide a list of restaurants within a certain proximity to the mobile user, or call a cab from the nearest taxi stand, ask for help from the nearest police station or an ambulance from the nearest hospital etc.

Location based billing
User can have preferential billing by this type of application. Through location based billing, the user can establish personal zones such as a home zone or work zone. Through arrangements with the service provider, the user could perhaps enjoy flat-rate calling while in the home area and special rates while in other defined zones.

Emergency services
Location based emergency service application can pinpoint your location and relay it to the appropriate authorities. Such services can be very useful in case of natural calamities like earth-quake, cyclone and in case of crimes like kidnapping etc.

Tracking
This application is very useful for fleet applications and enabling mobile commerce. Fleet applications typically entail tracking vehicles for purposes of the owning company knowing the whereabouts of the vehicle. Tracking is also an enabler of mobile commerce services. A mobile user could be tracking and provided information that he desires, such as notification of a sale on a store close to the user's current proximity.

In India, two operators Bharti and Hutch have introduced location-based services of different kinds.

Hutch’s location-based service launched in Delhi and NCR is called 'Hutch4help'. Hutch has offered this service to all its subscribers including the prepaid and the post-paid card holders owning any brand of handset and SIM card memory of any level. Hutch service is a dial-in location based service. Hutch provides police, chemist, hospital and taxi service on Hutch4help. In order to access them, subscribers are required to press 4, followed by the service required, namely P O L I C E (765423) or H O S P I T A L, on the key-pad. As per the charges, Hutch subscribers would be charged cell-to-fixed line rates for all these calls depending on the tariff plan.

Another service provided by Hutch is based on cell broadcast where Hutch subscribers in Delhi get a 'location display' on their phones. Only those subscribers who have 'cell information' feature in their handset get a location display.

Bharti group calls its location based services as 'Around-me' which is operational in Mumbai and Delhi. The Bharti Group has offered this service to its post-paid subscribers who have a 32-K memory SIM card. Airtel service is data (SMS) based. Bharti offers services like shopping (clothes, electronics, gifts, interior etc.) with discounts, restaurant, entertainment (discos, pubs etc.), utilities(taxis, banks, ATMs, travel agents, car servicing centres, petrol pump, car dealers), medical (chemists, hospitals and doctors) and hotels (5/3 star, budget). The user has to press clothes in the shopping menu while he is around a certain area and he gets an SMS with details of shop names, addresses, and phone numbers within 10 km radius. Airtel users would be charged as per the SMS rate.

The bouquet of services being offered will keep growing.