Traffic and Map to Mobile Phones
February 2nd, 2005
A new service from publisher Rand McNally will provide real-time traffic information to mobile phone users. The new service, Rand McNally Traffic, lets people download information on traffic flow, congestion, weather conditions and accidents in about 90 cities nationwide, the company said Wednesday. Subscribers can either get information on routes they usually take or do a search based on ZIP codes of their destination and then check for incidents by roads, it said.
Rand McNally is working with wireless data firm TeleCommunication Systems on the service.
The service is currently available to customers of Sprint PCS Vision, AT&T Wireless and Alltel who have compatible phones. The service will cost $3.99 per month and will be available on other networks in the future.
MapQuest announced on Jan 5, 2005 a new feature designed to let subscribers send color maps to their mobile phones.
The feature, part of the company’s MapQuest Mobile service, also lets users send driving instructions, said the company, which is a subsidiary of America Online. Subscribers use the MapQuest Web site to find the maps and directions they want, then send them to their handsets. The feature is called Send to Phone.
MapQuest Mobile, which is priced at $3.99 per month from most wireless carriers, already lets users request and access maps and directions directly from their phones. MapQuest said its service is available on a number of compatible cell phones from major wireless carriers in the United States.
Full report at CNet.
Entry Filed under: Mobile Phones,Wireless Network