In addition, wading through several minutes of voice prompts to tell the automated voice solution the caller's origin can be time consuming and inconvenient. An existing, and often viable, alternative is to speak with a live operator. InetNow provides that type of service. Unfortunately, the caller still needs to convey his or her exact location to the operator, which may not be easy if the caller is lost. As a result, these powerful voice-based solutions deliver only half the personalized Internet content the wireless subscriber needs.
Subscribers still have to determine where they are to benefit from voice-enabled services.
Network-based solutions determine the wireless subscriber's location by the cellular tower the caller is accessing during a call. This solution requires wireless carriers to modify or upgrade their existing infrastructure. Many wireless carriers are reluctant to upgrade existing infrastructure because of pending third-generation solutions and the high cost of deploying this next generation of wireless technology. In addition, network-based location solutions enable wireless providers to monitor and track a subscriber location during wireless calls, leaving wireless subscribers to wonder who has access to their location information. Handset-based solutions determine subscriber location using Global Positioning System technology.