Author—Bob Rennard – CTO and Co-Founder

Wifi

Apple’s recent announcement that the iPhone will use Skyhook Wireless’ Wi-Fi location-aware technology has stirred conversation in the press about using Wi-Fi on cell phones vs. using GPS technology. 

I tend to agree with Patrick Connelly, an analyst with IMS research, who stated that the two technologies are more complimentary than competitive. However, one will not replace the other. 

If you are in an “urban canyon” such as Manhattan, securing a GPS fix may be a challenge, especially with phones that do not use the wireless network to assist the GPS receiver in finding the location (assisted vs. autonomous GPS). In this case, for some location-based services, Wi-Fi access points may be an alternative or complimentary to GPS. However, until Wi-Fi access points reach a critical mass in these cities, the location could still be off by nearly 300 feet, especially if the wireless access point is moved after its location is recorded. This obviously would not work for services like driver navigation but may be reasonable for pedestrians who are not moving as quickly.

In more suburban or rural areas, GPS is still clearly the primary choice for most location-based applications since Wi-Fi access points will be few and far between. Some companies have discussed using personal Wi-Fi access points (i.e. you or your neighbor’s Wi-Fi service) in suburban areas, but this could be a huge privacy issue. I don’t see this happening any time soon. 

Other than Skyhook, there are other companies providing some interesting location-aware technologies. Qualcomm and Navizon are also working on Wi-Fi location-aware technologies. Another interesting technology is that of Rosum. Rosum is combining TV with GPS signals to develop a technology that will ideally provide more location-capturing capabilities indoor (where GPS is limited).