Finland's Radiolinja and PTV, the software expert from Karlsruhe, have jointly developed the first mobility services based on traffic information from the mobile communication network. The Finnish company Radiolinja offers a system which draws traffic information from the movement of mobile phones within the mobile communication network. It provides up-to-the-minute information of very high quality. PTV has developed the compatible front-end which enables the user to have access to almost real-time traffic information.
In a first phase, applications will be available visualising the traffic situation (level-of-service) by using different mobile phones or fixed end devices. In this regard PTV has access to real-time information at Radiolinja and displays these data on a road network. At present, information consists of current speed images for different sections of the road network in the surrounding area of Helsinki. PTV transfers the data to the mobile handset by using coloured, clearly structured maps.
Applications using traffic information from GSM monitoring and the visualisation of this data are only the beginning. Examples of further services, planned for the future, are Traffic Alert Services automatically notifying the user of traffic disturbances on his route, dynamic route services as well as dynamic offboard navigation via mobile phone. That is why Dr. Hans Hubschneider, PTV board spokesman, says: "The co-operation with Radiolinja allows us to provide all kinds of end-to-end solutions enabling mobile network operators to become traffic information providers as well. These dynamic data perfectly complete other sources and provide an up-to-date view of the entire traffic situation".
We are extremely pleased with the co-operation with PTV as their technologies enhance remarkably the user experience of handling traffic information produced from mobile networks, says Tomi Saario, Director of International Sales, Radiolinja. He continues: "We are privileged to be able to make this new solution available to both, mobile operators and road administrations, as it has already raised lots of interest internationally."
Posted to the site on 11th September 2003
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/9692.php