The Internet location service

Traditional communication networks have relied on accurate and dependable location information in order to deliver a range of critical and value-added services for decades. The location of a device attached to a network is a fundamental artifact of any access network, regardless of underlying technology. The success of the Internet, fuelled further by the growth in domestic broadband deployments is driving demand for location information to enable new services and allow essential services to operate on the Internet. The Internet is predicated on an end-device control model built around basic IP protocols and services supplied or made available by an access network. Information provided by access network services can be used by a device to address and use other services on the Internet. The location of a device is inherently known by the access network, and is required for a range of developing Internet applications, driving the need for a standard Internet location service that is independent of the physical access technology. This paper describes the evolving Internet location service, its applicability and benefits to all forms of broadband networks as well as its specific applicability to next generation emergency services. The paper further explains how the Internet location service works in conjunction with IMS using emergency calling as an example.