Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!pyrdc!netsys!vector!nobody From: weinstoc@SEI.CMU.EDU (Chuck Weinstock) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Cellular Phone Question Message-ID:Date: 24 Sep 88 14:39:13 GMT Sender: chip@vector.UUCP Lines: 14 Approved: telecom-request@vector.uucp (USENET Telecom Moderator) X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 8, issue 146, message 3 X-Submissions-To: telecom@xx.lcs.mit.edu (Mailing List Coordinator) X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp (USENET Telecom Moderator) If I call a number associated with a cellular phone, how does the cellular phone operator know which phone to ring and where it is. I can think of two possible answers: 1. Periodically each cellular phone emits a "here I am" which is received by the nearest cells and recorded in a database. 2. When a call for a particular phone comes through all cells in the system broadcast a "where are you" and the cellular phone responds. If anyone knows the details of the protocol used I'd appreciate hearing from them. Chuck Weinstock