SAN FRANCISCO — The nation’s largest wireless provider announced a sweeping upgrade to its location-services play, adding assisted-GPS (A-GPS) technology to its network and unveiling plans for a range of new, location-assisted services.
In an announcement made in conjunction with the CTIA I.T. trade show here, AT&T Mobility said it would deploy A-GPS within its network to enhance existing and planned services working on A-GPS-capable devices. The carrier previously used cell-site triangulation for its location services.
AT&T said the technology will allow location-services to identify a user’s initial position in fewer than 20 seconds.
The carrier said the location-technology upgrade precedes the introduction of a number of new services, including a location-enabled social networking service and a “family-oriented” service, scheduled for release “later this year.” The carrier also promised “privacy controls that let parents control how their children share location information.”
In the meantime, AT&T announced two new location applications to appease those unwilling to wait. The carrier announced the release of AAA Mobile navigator, powered by Networks In Motion, and MapQuest Navigator, powered by Telmap.
Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. currently offer A-GPS-based services.
