Carriers Sell Users’ Tracking Data in $5.5 Billion Market
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Transportation consultant Fehr & Peers, studying the commuting habits of California residents last year, got 300 responses from 5,300 postcard surveys sent by mail. Using cellular signals over the same period, Fehr was able to track travel patterns for 76,500 handset users.
Fehr was testing a new service from Atlanta-based startup AirSage Inc. that tracked wireless signals from consumer phones in near-real time. The test was so successful that Fehr has expanded use of AirSage data to five projects this year from just one in 2012.