Location-Based Services (LBSs) are rapidly expanding in both number and variety. LBSs are services provided via mobile applications with the help of network connectivity and the ability to detect the location of the user. LBSs offer a wide range of services; navigation tools to help you reach your destination (e.g., MapQuest); local search to help you find nearby businesses or events (e.g., Yelp); friend finders and social networking (e.g. Loopt and Google Buzz); applications that allow you to check in at certain locations (e.g., foursquare); and applications that can link your location to other activities (e.g., Twitter and Facebook). Many users currently access LBS through mobile phones that are more technologically advanced.
However, a significant number of mobile phones in the world especially in developing countries are used without built in location sensor techniques and are unable to transfer their location information over the network. These phones are called Low-End Mobile Phones (LEMPs).
After survey of the available location based applications in the market, it seems that there is lack in terms of addressing the needs of locating mobile subscribers via the LEMPs. Recent technology mainly supports the high end mobile users. As a result, this research sought to explore the development of a service to locate mobile subscribers using LEMPs via USSD and SMS technology.
