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AT&T Bumps Up Their GPS Technology

by Nate on Sep 15th, 2008 at 5:30 am EST
2 Comments »
 

att_logo AT&T has launched their new assisted GPS technology on its GSM network to enhance its current and future location based services. This will effect all A-GPS capable devices. I am not the most technical person, but it sounds like this technology finds your location first using cell tower triangulation, then pinpoints your location via GPS satellites. This increases speed and accuracy. This sounds like what Verizon and a few other carriers have been doing for years or at least with VZnavigator…

AT&T also plans on rolling out 2 new GPS applications to go along with this new technology, AAA Navigator and MapQuest Navigator.

Some Fun Nerdy Information From The Press Release:

“Using a mobile phone for navigation is affordable, convenient and intuitive because it eliminates the need for consumers to buy or carry yet another gadget,” said Mark Collins, vice president of consumer products for AT&T’s wireless unit, in a statement. “And unlike traditional navigation devices, which can be hard to transport from car to car or difficult to use while walking or riding a bike, a mobile phone is always on hand or in hand.”

AAA Mobile navigator, powered by Networks In Motion (NIM), gives AT&T customers access to audible turn-by-turn directions, AAA TourBook travel guide information including Diamond Ratings for restaurants and lodgings, gas prices, movie reviews and show times, traffic alerts with alternate routes and more.

AAA Mobile also allows AAA members to send their GPS location directly to a roadside assistance operator.

MapQuest Navigator, powered by Telmap, gives AT&T customers access to turn-by-turn, voice-guided driving and walking directions, 3-D moving maps, 16 million points of interest from MapQuest’s database, quick route recalculation for missed turns, real-time traffic alerts, gas prices, gas station locations and AOL’s  City’s Best restaurant and venue ratings.

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 15th, 2008 and is filed under GPS, News.
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2 Comments to “AT&T Bumps Up Their GPS Technology”

  1. Posted by: Tom
    September 15, 2008 at 8:14 am EST

    AAA Navigator has been around for a while across carriers. Personally, I find it insulting that AAA members are not given a discount for (much less free access to) this application.

  2. Posted by: DavidB
    September 15, 2008 at 8:59 am EST

    Same company makes AAA Navigator as makes VZNavigator.

    The “assisted” part just means it can get a rough location from cell tower and thus get a faster satellite fix. It will know which sats to seek rather than having to look for any/all sats, since the app will know what sats provide coverage to which tower locations. Yes, works the same as VZW, and works like Google Maps can work in the absence (or blocking in VZW’s case) of sat signals. Of course you won’t get a location fix even close without multiple towers or sats.