AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has deployed assisted GPS technology (A-GPS) within its wireless network to enhance existing and planned location-based services (LBS) used with A-GPS capable devices. The company will also launch two new navigation applications in the coming weeks, MapQuest Navigator and AAA Mobile Navigator. The A-GPS deployment primes the network for further expansion this year in the LBS category, including planned launches of a location-enabled social networking service and a family-oriented service along with industry-leading privacy controls. In regards to network deployment, A-GPS technology gives capable devices a significant jump-start on identifying the user’s initial location. GPS devices search satellites each time they are turned on to determine starting latitude and longitude, a process that previously took as long as several minutes. With A-GPS, AT&T’s network speeds up that query by identifying nearby cell sites, helping the device more quickly hone in on the appropriate satellites. Assisted in this way, A-GPS capable devices can identify a user’s initial location in fewer than 20 seconds, delivering greater convenience to customers using LBS. Within weeks, AT&T will launch new downloadable applications that give its customers more ways to use compatible mobile phones as navigation devices.

Select this image for additional info...