Informant38

The Straight Dope: Does my cell phone company keep track of me wherever I go? (for enhanced) 911 capability has lots of pluses. Apart from helping emergency dispatchers, it'll support some useful commercial services. Say you're driving in an unfamiliar town and you get lost. No prob--push a button and your cell phone sends your location to a navigational service that tells you which way to go. Similarly, you'll be able to request directions to shops and services in the vicinity.
On the other hand, do you always want the world to know exactly where you are? If you were a crook on the lam, using a cell phone would be tantamount to phoning in your coordinates. Most of us don't have anybody tailing us, but check out this scenario: you're walking past the grocery store when it detects that you're close by and sends you a message about today's sale on bananas. Excited?