BMCC: "Location Information Accuracy from Three Major Mobile Carriers for Emergency Agencies Improved"

First iPhone Assessment
"Response Time to Be Improved"

The accuracy and compliance rate of location information provided by the three major mobile carriers to emergency response agencies such as fire departments and police have improved.

Broadcast Media and Communications Commission logo. Broadcast Media and Communications Commission

The Broadcast Media and Communications Commission (BMCC) announced on April 21 the results of the "2025 Emergency Rescue Location Information Quality Measurement" for the three mobile carriers and mobile phone devices. Since 2019, the BMCC has been releasing related measurement results to support rescue operations by fire departments and police, as well as to encourage technological investment and quality improvement by the three mobile carriers. Last year's quality assessment focused on the quality of emergency rescue location information provided by the three mobile carriers and Apple, as well as the emergency location information features of mobile devices released in Korea.

According to last year's measurement, the location accuracy of the "base station" method by the three mobile carriers improved from 25 meters to 22 meters compared to the previous year, and the compliance rate reached 99.6%. However, the response time increased slightly from 1.4 seconds to 1.9 seconds.

For the "Global Positioning System" (GPS) method, location accuracy improved from 12.7 meters to 12.3 meters, and the compliance rate increased from 99% to 99.2%. The location response time increased from 1.7 seconds to 2.4 seconds. For the "Wi-Fi" method, location accuracy improved from 18.7 meters to 17.1 meters, and the compliance rate rose from 98.9% to 99.4%, while the response time remained unchanged at 2.4 seconds.

By carrier, KT demonstrated the highest location accuracy for the base station method at 15.1 meters, followed by SK Telecom at 22.3 meters, and LG Uplus at 23.3 meters. SK Telecom showed the best location accuracy for both the GPS and Wi-Fi methods, at 9.2 meters and 12.6 meters, respectively.

For response time in the base station method, KT was the fastest at 1.2 seconds. Next were SK Telecom at 1.2 seconds and LG Uplus at 2.8 seconds. For both the GPS and Wi-Fi methods, KT again recorded the fastest response time at 1.6 seconds. In terms of compliance rate, KT achieved the highest levels in all three methods: 100% for base station, 99.8% for GPS, and 99.8% for Wi-Fi.

For the first time, Apple’s iPhone was included in this assessment. When emergency agencies request GPS location information, the iPhone calculates and provides hybrid location data directly from the device. The iPhone recorded a location accuracy of 24.3 meters, response time of 17.6 seconds, and a compliance rate of 97.5%. Apple stated that it plans to improve the iPhone's response time by early next year.

It was also found that location information using the Wi-Fi method is not provided on some devices. While it is available on domestically distributed unlocked devices, USIM portable devices, and kids’ phones, it was not provided on foreign-made devices such as those by Xiaomi and Apple. In the case of the base station method, all device types—including unlocked, USIM portable, kids’ phones, and foreign-made devices—provided location information.

Kim Jongchul, Chairman of the BMCC, stated, "Based on these results, we will work closely with the industry and other stakeholders to gradually enhance the quality of emergency rescue location information." He added, "We will also seek to improve the relevant standards and systems in accordance with changes in technology, industry, and environment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.