Program uses cellphone signals to help drivers avoid congestion
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 | 4:38 PM ET
CBC News
Frustrated drivers looking to skip highly congested areas will soon be able to benefit from new technology that relies on other people's cellphones to create detailed maps of traffic.
Io-traffic, a program developed by traffic information company IntelliOne, uses information from cellphone signals provided by Rogers Wireless. For now, the program is only available in the Toronto area, where local radio station 680 News will use it for their traffic reports.
It works by using a continuous stream of data emitted by cellphones to locate the origin of each signal. Signals are collected and aggregated every second to create a live picture of traffic conditions, including the speed at which cars are going, Willem Galle, chief operating officer of IntelliOne, told CBC News.
Roads which slow motorists travelling at low speed can then be identified as high-traffic. The program also filters out cellphone users who are walking or stationary, Galle said.
Users' personal information is stripped from the signals, Tom Soumbas, business development manager for Rogers Wireless, told CBC News. There is no way of knowing to whom a cellphone signal belongs to, he said.
The service is currently in the planning phase, Soumbas said. He said there are plans to expand into Ontario's cottage country, and later to other Canadian cities. He did not say when it will be released commercially or how much it would cost.
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