Tracking Your Cell Phone for Traffic Reports

BostonBTS writes "IntelliOne Technologies has just launched a real-world test of Need4Speed, a real-time traffic-monitoring system that tracks drivers' cell phones. From their website: 'Unlike any other solution available today, the IntelliOne Roadway Speed Measurement System produces live roadway speeds for all highways and surface streets where mobile phone coverage exists, accurate to within three miles per hour.' Of course, any compulsory phone-tracking system raises privacy concerns. According to an article on LiveScience, 'the personal identification data of users will be stripped from cell phone signals before they are processed by IntelliOne's software.' The cell phone companies have this data, but IntelliOne says they won't be keeping their copy."

Comments

Re:Now all they need

[stox]

They have had this for some time. it is called TMC (Traffic Message Channel), which is uses RDS (Radio Data Service) to send messages to the navigation unit. Garmin has units that support it, and I am sure there are others.

Where have I heard this before?

[evilviper]

A bit off-topic, but have you heard they're going to be tracking cell-phone signals to monitor traffic patterns? It's amazing! Why doesn't slashdot ever accept a story on the subject?

You can read more here:

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/19/143247

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/19/074524 8

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/11/01/159241

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/10/16/076217

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/12/30/124324 7

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/06/13/042822 9

There, that's better. Hopefully, one day they'll come to their senses, and post a story or two on the subject.