EMT Estonia successfully completes first live 3G network tests of BlueSky Positioning�s A-GPS technology
BlueSky Positioning, the A-GPS solutions provider for the SIM card industry, and EMT, the leading mobile operator in Estonia, announced today that EMT has completed its initial field testing of BlueSky Positioning’s A-GPS (Assisted-Global Positioning System) technology. The tests were conducted using both GPRS and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Services Data) for retrieving assistance data in a live 3G network.
EMT Estonia is the first network operator to test a USSD connection for assistance data, allowing BlueSky Positioning’s A-GPS solution to be used with ordinary mobile phones, even if the model does not support GPRS. Using USSD brings with it a number of benefits such as the ability to be used concurrently with a voice call. Retrieving assistance data during a call is particularly important when making an emergency call, allowing the caller to be located accurately and quickly.
The tests were carried out with handsets varying from low end 2G to high end 3.5G. Future testing will cover a wider range of handsets and scenarios including various weather conditions, in urban and rural landscapes and using entry-level handsets and smartphones. Running parallel to this testing, new services and business models will be finalised in readiness for a mass market launch by EMT.
