Hello all,
"Swisscom has stored data on the movements of more than a million mobile phone users. It can call up the location of all its mobile subscribers down to a few hundred meters and going back at least half a year," the paper reported.
They probably say a few hundred meters so the people don't feel their privacy is too ridiculously invaded / soften the blow.
If this is a GSM network then I think they can probably pinpoint your location down to 2 possible locations within a few meters due to the digital timing involved with the very precise spread spectrum radio. Or maybe your actual location within a meter or 2.
I have heard of digital mobile phones that have a feature in their test/diag mode that displays the distance to the current base station in meters, and also displays info of a second base station that it would most likely switch to when moving out of the current cell. Even if the telco only had the distance info to your phone within a meter from 2 of their base stations, they could calculate where you are if need be to 2 possible locations within meters. Surely though they would have the capability of recording distance info from 3 base stations, pin pointing you exactly during a call or the exact spot your phone requested a cell change.
And during a call, if need be, they could probably plot your position at around 10,000 samples per second. :) Though for them to be keeping this much info on you, you are obviously being investigated.
Isn't it ironic that people who use GSM for it's "security" can have this much info of their whereabouts known to big brother/whoever? Not to mention their actual conversation.
Imagine Mr.Drug Dealer turns up to court and watches as the jury is presented with a floorplan on screen and an animated pinpoint of his phones position while a recording of his conversation is played in sync?
The world just about, has no idea! To say big brother is watching is a gross understatement. :)
He's gunna find out who's naughty and nice.
Bye for now.