LBS (location based services) is also known as mobile positioning and can help determine the position of a cell phone. This incredible technology is used to locate and identify a mobile device. Just about all cell phone providers offer some type of service that will allow you to track and position your phone if it is lost or stolen.
The tracking systems works by using the same technology that the cell phones uses to acquire service. A cell phone acquires the signal it needs to make calls by connecting to a signal that is transmitted by a tower. When a cell phone connects to a tower it "pings", or registers itself with the tower. When this happens, the phone leaves a footprint on the tower, and the footprint is recorded. Authorities and other interested parties can look up the tower's records and determine when the phone was registered there, thus determining the holder's location at that time.
Areas that may be more spread out or less populated will have fewer towers, while more urban areas will have more towers. The further apart towers, the harder it is to pinpoint an exact location. Urban areas have towers that are closer together, so they have a more precise way of identifying location. Depending on the zone, you can get within 50 meters or a few miles of accuracy. Even if you can only locate within a few miles that is still better than nothing. Think about it this way, if your teenager said they were at the mall which is few miles away and their signal is in the next town, they will have some explaining to do.
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