Phone mast data: it’s free, and out there
Interesting: ononemap, a property search company, has grabbed the data about mobile phone mast locations from Ofcom’s site and put it onto its own, along all the property ones.
Free data; commercial organisation using it. Will this be an example of the effect of using free data in the private sector?
It’s a very interesting application of (inevitably?) Google Maps, but the mashup – which as well as (obviously) properties for sale by area also optionally shows properties that have already sold, secondary schools, supermarkets and, now, mobile phone masts – which the sites notes at
© Ofcom: Information reproduced accurately and in context from the Mobile Phone Base Station Database and with adherence to the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. OnOneMap displays the mast information as per the aforementioned database as of December 2006.
.
Is it bringing more visitors to ononemap? Is it helping house sales? (We feel obliged to point out that there is no evidence that phone masts have any effect on your health – though of course you might be able to bargain down a seller if you could point out there was one nearby…)
- The following posts may be related...(the database guesses):
- Will revealing the exact location of mobile phone masts generate business? (21 September 2006; score: 33.67%)
- Tories demand publication of Trading Funds review, back free data principles (19 February 2009; score: 28.58%)
- Environment Agency yanks flood data from OnOneMap site (30 June 2007; score: 23.41%)
- Why aren't public servants' details public? (5 October 2006; score: 22.77%)
- Mark the date: July 17 at the RSA, London, for the Free Our Data debate (22 June 2006; score: 15.65%)
February 26th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Interesting, I was just talking to a friend yesterday about how you could get hold of this data and perhaps use it for geolocating phones (for free).
You mention that uses might be limited with ononemap’s use of it, perhaps it could be a positive point for some people though if it suggests they might get good phone signal!
March 3rd, 2007 at 11:33 am
[...] The data used by OnOneMap has also been noted by the “Free Our Data” campaign that the Guardian’s technology section has been running for the past year. That campaign highlights another issue in information policy that is limiting the development of this form of journalism in Britain: Crown Copyright. [...]