Lok Sabha Question No. 4051 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-23
Subject: Location based Services
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne, DHARMENDRA YADAV, SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, ANANDRAO  ADSUL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4051

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 rd  DECEMBER, 2015

## LOCATION BASED SERVICES

4051.  SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO:

SHRI ANANDRAO ADSUL:

Will  the  Minister  of  COMMUNICATIONS  AND  INFORMATION  TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  Union  Government  has  amended  all  licence  agreements  of  cellphone service providers asking them to implement Location Based Services (LBS);

- (b) if so, the details thereof;

- (c) whether  operators  have  raised  multiple  issues,  including  costs  and  technical feasibility of achieving the requirements specified by the DoT;

- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto; and

- (e) whether the service providers have sought the intervention of TRAI in the matter and have requested financial help in this regard and if so, the response of the Union Government thereon?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) & (b) The Government have issued the amendment to various telecom licenses (i.e. Access Services, National Long Distance and International Long distance Services licenses  on  31.05.2011  and  Internet  Service  Providers  &  VSAT  service  providers  on 03.06.2011) for implementation of Location Based Services (LBS) as detailed below:

Contd……..2/-

|                    | Accuracy in Percentage                                   | Accuracy in Percentage                                   | Accuracy in Percentage   | Accuracy in Percentage   | Accuracy in Percentage   | Accuracy in Percentage   | Accuracy in Percentage   |
|--------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| Distance in Meters | Urban (More than 1 million mobiles in a municipal limit) | Urban (More than 1 million mobiles in a municipal limit) | Sub - Urban & Rural      | Sub - Urban & Rural      | Sub - Urban & Rural      | Remote                   | Remote                   |
|                    | 1 year                                                   | 2 years                                                  | 1 year*                  | 2 years                  | 3 years                  | 2 years                  | 3 years                  |
| 50                 | 30                                                       | 50                                                       | -                        | -                        | -                        | -                        | -                        |
| 100                | 60                                                       | 75                                                       | -                        | 50                       | 60                       | -                        | -                        |
| 300                | 80                                                       | 95                                                       | 50                       | 60                       | 70                       | 50                       | 60                       |
| 500                | -                                                        | -                                                        | 60                       | 70                       | 80                       | 60                       | 70                       |

*Applicable for the state of J&K, Assam and NE region.

To  start  with  these  details  will  be  provided  for  specified  mobile  numbers. However, within a period of 3 years location details shall be part of CDR for all mobile calls.

(c)  to  (e)      The  Telecom Service  Providers have raised issues related with costs and technical feasibility to which clarifications indicating a phased implementation, technology  neutrality  and  no  cost  sharing  by  Government    have  been  issued  by  the department as given below:

i)  LBS  requirements  were  already  mandated  by  the  government  with  an accuracy of 100 meters gradually to be reduced to 50 meters. However, after critical  examination  and  considering  the  international  scenario,  technological developments  and  available  solutions,  the  LBS  requirements  have  been prescribed in phased manner vide amendment dated 31.5.2011.

ii)  LBS  is  a  known  commercial  service  product,  and  therefore,  it  will  not  be possible to distinguish between the commercial use and security. Hence, there cannot be any cost sharing by Government. The TSPs may opt out of available solutions or combination of them to implement a cost effective solution, which achieves the stated objectives.

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