Bharti Airtel, in collaboration with Sweden-based Wayfi nder Systems, launched its GPS-based Navigation Application on compatible mobile handsets. The systems is complete with detailed maps and points-of-interest of several cities across the country. It will be available on the BlackBerry 8800 and will cover information on cities including Delhi and NCR, Bangalore, Mumbai & Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Chandigarh. www.techtree.com

With falling Average Selling Prices (ASPs) for GPS handsets, domestic GPS handset shipments will rise to 16.5 million units in 2011, more than 10 times the 1.4 million in 2007, iSuppli Corp. predicts. Both China Mobile and China Unicom began to provide navigation services this year. They have partnered with digitalmapping, handset and chipset suppliers to bring GPS to the mobile market.

In contrast to dedicated Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs), GPS handsets receive mapping data through wireless networks to provide navigation and hence do not need to embed mapping data—only free GPS navigation software. As an option, consumers can install complete maps into their GPS-enabled handsets to use the navigation service and only retrieve specifi c data on longitude, latitude and altitude directly from orbiting GPS satellites. The optimal route to the user’s destination is then displayed based on GIS software and on the digital map installed. www.isuppli.com

This Assisted GPS (A-GPS) service helps Nokia Maps users fi nd their current locations faster using their Nokia mobile device with built-in GPS. Nokia intends to equip all of its future devices that have built-in GPS with this service. The fi rst device to use this service is the Nokia 6110 Navigator. www.nokia.com

Sprint and Google Inc. shall soon bring WiMAX mobile Internet customers search, interactive communications and social networking tools though a new mobile portal. This collaboration will help spur new mobility and location-assisted services as Sprint untethers Internet access for consumers, businesses and government customers. www.sprint.com

Broadcom Corporation announced that it has joined S60 Product Creation Community. It will have access to software, technology and S60 ecosystem resources for developing advanced smartphones based on S60 software. Broadcom's recent acquisition of GlobalLocate for GPS solutions, and its complete line of power management and RF solutions round out the extensive list of products it now offers to S60 customers. As a member it can work with S60 ecosystem members to integrate Symbian OS® and S60 software on Broadcom's Mobile platforms. www.broadcom.com

Wi-Fi-based Real Time Location Systems will become an $800 million dollar market by 2012, according to ABI Research report. This study examines the key vertical market segments spurring growth, as well as some of the drivers for horizontal growth such as fi xed-mobile convergence. www.abiresearch.com

The worldwide market for location- based telecommunication services is expected to reach nearly $1.5 billion in 2007.According to The Insight Research Corporation, location-based telecommunication services are most popular in Asian countries, where they provide wireless subscribers with tailored information based upon their current physical location. www.insight-corp.com

According to Frost & Sullivan, Asia Pacifi c Location-based Services Market, covering 13 major Asia-Pacifi c economies - was worth US$291.7 million in 2006, and is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 15.3 percent (2006-2009) to reach an estimated US$447 million by end-2009.

Japan and South Korea are the most developed LBS markets accounting for nearly 92 percent of the total revenues in Asia-Pacific.

The demand for LBS in the rest of Asia- Pacifi c has been inhibited by issues like privacy infringement concerns, interoperability issues, lack of advanced GPS -enabled handsets, and a general lack of a conducive eco-system and user interest. www.frost.com