Telstra GSM: Mobile location finder SMS

A few years ago Telstra was trialling an undocumented service where a
customer could send an SMS and receive a reply that indicated the
co-ordinates of the handset, obtained I think by triangulation of signals
from mobile phone towers.

Does anyone here remember the relevant destination number for the trigger
SMS - or the required SMS content (if any)?

Thanks

The Family wrote:

> A few years ago Telstra was trialling an undocumented service
> where a customer could send an SMS and receive a reply that
> indicated the co-ordinates of the handset, obtained I think by
> triangulation of signals from mobile phone towers.
>
> Does anyone here remember the relevant destination number for
> the trigger SMS - or the required SMS content (if any)?

It was a message (content ignored IIRC) to 1715678. Google for
the combination of the number and "Telstra".

John

John,

Thanks for your quick response.

I just tried sending a blank SMS to 171 5678 (ie 171 LOST) but there was no
response.

I guess the service has been taken down.
A pity.


"John Henderson" <jhenRemoveThis@talk21.com> wrote in message
news:5ht558F3lkfd7U1@mid.individual.net...
> The Family wrote:
>
>> A few years ago Telstra was trialling an undocumented service
>> where a customer could send an SMS and receive a reply that
>> indicated the co-ordinates of the handset, obtained I think by
>> triangulation of signals from mobile phone towers.
>>
>> Does anyone here remember the relevant destination number for
>> the trigger SMS - or the required SMS content (if any)?
>
> It was a message (content ignored IIRC) to 1715678. Google for
> the combination of the number and "Telstra".
>
> John

The Family wrote:
> John,
>
> Thanks for your quick response.
>
> I just tried sending a blank SMS to 171 5678 (ie 171 LOST) but there was no
> response.
>
> I guess the service has been taken down.
> A pity.

Yes, just like they trialled Cell Broadcast many years ago to send out
news and weather from some cell sites in Melbourne. Unfortunately that
didn't last because they weren't going to make any money out of it.


--
The views I present are that of my own and NOT of any organisation I may
belong to.

73 de Simon, VK3XEM.
<http://web.acma.gov.au/pls/radcom/client_search.client_lookup?pCLIENT_NO=157452>

"The Family" <someone@somewhat.com> wrote in message
news:13biole8qgfn9f2@corp.supernews.com...
> John,
>
> Thanks for your quick response.
>
> I just tried sending a blank SMS to 171 5678 (ie 171 LOST) but there was
> no response.
>
> I guess the service has been taken down.

Correct, it was only a trial.

> A pity.

If its relevant as a commercial product it will be launched

>
>
> "John Henderson" <jhenRemoveThis@talk21.com> wrote in message
> news:5ht558F3lkfd7U1@mid.individual.net...
>> The Family wrote:
>>
>>> A few years ago Telstra was trialling an undocumented service
>>> where a customer could send an SMS and receive a reply that
>>> indicated the co-ordinates of the handset, obtained I think by
>>> triangulation of signals from mobile phone towers.
>>>
>>> Does anyone here remember the relevant destination number for
>>> the trigger SMS - or the required SMS content (if any)?
>>
>> It was a message (content ignored IIRC) to 1715678. Google for
>> the combination of the number and "Telstra".
>>
>> John
>
>

"Simon Templar" <usenet@vk3xem.net> wrote in message
news:5htv7qF3lmncgU2@mid.individual.net...
> The Family wrote:
>> John,
>>
>> Thanks for your quick response.
>>
>> I just tried sending a blank SMS to 171 5678 (ie 171 LOST) but there was
>> no response.
>>
>> I guess the service has been taken down.
>> A pity.
>
> Yes, just like they trialled Cell Broadcast many years ago to send out
> news and weather from some cell sites in Melbourne. Unfortunately that
> didn't last because they weren't going to make any money out of it.

few years ago? that was 2000!

and that was more to do with testing that cell broadcast would work ok on
most handsets and equipment

it was not aimed at providing a commercial service