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Cell Tower Data Interpretation

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UnallocatedClusters
(@unallocatedclusters)
Posts: 577
Honorable Member
Topic starter
 

Colleagues,

I hoping for some guidance in interpreting data provided to my client via a subpoena. An unknown person is sending harassing text messages to my client. My client's attorney was able to subpoena the phone carrier who provided what appears to be a cell tower location)

I have changed the digits from what was provided by the phone carrier but have matched the number of provided digits (the phone carrier only provided one (1) CellLocation

CARRIER PROVIDED DATA

Tower location for (123)456-7890
Item 1
ConnDateTime(UTC) 1/01/2013 1212
CellLocation [12345/67890-12.123456712.1234567123-1.0]

QUESTIONS

1) In order to paste the "CellLocation" information into Google Maps so that Google Maps will provide a location, which of the above data represents Longtitude and Latitude data?

I found Google's help on formatting here https://support.google.com/maps/answer/18539?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en

However, I am unsuccessful so far in transposing the carrier provided "CellLocation" data into a format that Google maps will display as a specific location.

2) What are the meaning of the units in the "CellLocation"?

I see

A. 12345/67890 (this means = ??)

B. -12.123456712.1234567 (this means = ?? I assume these values are Long. & Lat.)

C 123 (this means = ??)

D. -1.0 (this means = ??)

"B" above appears to be the obvious Longitude and Latitude, but when I paste the value "-12.1234567, 12.1234567" into Google maps, no location shows up whatsoever (obviously I am using the actual carrier provided data, not my generic numbers).

I also chopped down the values to five characters after the period, but did not get any location to show up "-12.12345, 12.12345".

Many thanks for your help.

EDIT

Ok, when I reversed the Longitude and Latitude numbers in Google Maps, a potentially relevant address DID show up. )

In order for the potentially relevant location to reveal itself in Google Maps, I had to correct the carrier-provided formatting to

12 12.34567, -12 12.34567

In other words, I had to reverse the order provided by the carrier, add in a space after the first two provided digits, and finally, add in a period after the fourth provided digit.

So I appear to have answered my own question o but I would still appreciate any other guidance as to the meaning of the other carrier provided digits (see A, C and D above).

 
Posted : 16/08/2016 2:17 am
RolfGutmann
(@rolfgutmann)
Posts: 1185
Noble Member
 

Not sure about A,C and D. But www.opencellid.org - there go to 'measurements of a selected GSM base station' to feed in

MCC Mobile Country Code
MNC Mobile Network Code (Carrier's name which 'owns, runs this network)
LAC Location Area Code
cell id

The first two parameters are obvious for you Country and Carrier (talk Operator as there are MNO Mobile Network Operators or MVNO Mobile Virtual Network Operators)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_country_code

base station is 'the cell site including antenna, may tower and on the ground the BTS Base Transceiver Station.

If you can upload the Cell Site Report you got from the carrier as .pdf, this would help.

Not sure this helps.

 
Posted : 16/08/2016 11:07 am
RolfGutmann
(@rolfgutmann)
Posts: 1185
Noble Member
 

C can be the physical Cell ID (range 0 -503). The genuine carrier report is required to say more

 
Posted : 16/08/2016 2:18 pm
(@larrydaniel)
Posts: 229
Reputable Member
 

ConnDateTime(UTC) 1/01/2013 1212
CellLocation [12345/67890-12.123456712.1234567123-1.0]

The celllocation field contains the LAC (12345) which is the switch or Location Area Code.
It is followed by the cell tower ID. In the ATT network the cell tower ID is for the sector and tower. That is followed by the longitudelatitude coordinates. Then the next number is the azimuth of the radio set on that sector. The azimuth is the compass direction toward which the radio points. The last number is the Beamwidth. However, if it is 0, then just ignore it.

The ConndateTime is in Universal Time Coordinates. So you have to calculate the offset to your time zone to get the correct time.

To enter the location information in to Google Earth, you just put in the coordinates separated by a comma.

12.1234567,-12.1234567 (Note you have to change the positions of the coordinates in the string so you are inputting the latitude,longitude.

 
Posted : 16/08/2016 4:29 pm
jaclaz
(@jaclaz)
Posts: 5133
Illustrious Member
 

If I may, making an example with 1234567890 is not the clearest possible.

There are different ways to express a set of coordinates
http//www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2015/11/different-coordinate-systems-google-earth.html

And in the link you referenced
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/18539?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en

Here are examples of formats that work
•Degrees, minutes, and seconds (DMS) 41°24'12.2"N 2°10'26.5"E
•Degrees and decimal minutes (DMM) 41 24.2028, 2 10.4418
•Decimal degrees (DD) 41.40338, 2.17403

Check the format that you are using in Google Earth, as (with real numbers) what you posted

In order for the potentially relevant location to reveal itself in Google Maps, I had to correct the carrier-provided formatting to

12 12.34567, -12 12.34567

appears NOT as a correct format conversion, see also here
http//forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=270516

The source data should be DD, however try this pasting the real coordinates into "Position" and then "Calc"
http//www.earthpoint.us/Convert.aspx
if the format is not recognized, it should bring you to Null Island 😯
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_Island

jaclaz

 
Posted : 16/08/2016 5:56 pm
hcso1510
(@hcso1510)
Posts: 303
Reputable Member
 

Larry,
I am assuming if your client has received harassing text then you have a target number.
If so I would send off a subpoena for those records to see if that activity originated from the target number. That's IF the target number came back to one of the major providers.
IF on the other hand your number comes back to a VoIP you should be able to subpoena the third party app and link it to a handset. Just a thought.

Respectfully,

 
Posted : 16/08/2016 6:12 pm
UnallocatedClusters
(@unallocatedclusters)
Posts: 577
Honorable Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks everyone for the expert feedback!

Ed - the attorney representing my client did issue a subpoena to AT&T, who responded with the type of information I posted above.

AT&T's report shows the phone owner to be "PREPAID CUSTOMER".

The attorney has a reasonable suspicion as to who is sending the harassing text messages (yes it is an ongoing issue), so were hoping to find some clue as to the real identity of the person sending the harassing text messages.

Perhaps we could contact the company and/or store that sold the prepaid phone and see if the user of the phone purchased it with a credit or debit card instead of cash.

Perhaps the store that sold the phone has video recordings of the person purchasing the phone.

Another thought is for the attorney to subpoena the suspected harasser's credit card providers to see if there is a record of purchasing the pre paid phone.

BTW I am coming up with these ideas from having watched "The Wire" television series, which I highly recommend to everyone.

One of the best scenes in The Wire is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdfwFDZGnUk

 
Posted : 16/08/2016 11:28 pm
(@athulin)
Posts: 1156
Noble Member
 

In order to paste the "CellLocation" information into Google Maps so that Google Maps will provide a location, which of the above data represents Longtitude and Latitude data?

You may want to try to verify that the grid system used by Google Earth is the same as that used by the carrier. It needn't be. As long as you don't know that it is, the coordinates may not necessarily be of any value.

No, I'm not a geographer, but I spent some time studying cartographic projections, after scratching my head over why coordinates (which I later found were expressed in the national standard grid) did not end up in the expected position in Google Earth (which certainly did not not use the national grid), and trying to find a way to transform the one from to the other.

Since then, I don't trust anyone who states coordinates, but omits the grid they are in. When you get down to fourth and fifth decimal places, it matters.

 
Posted : 16/08/2016 11:50 pm
UnallocatedClusters
(@unallocatedclusters)
Posts: 577
Honorable Member
Topic starter
 

athulin

Well you just proved again what my father taught me the more one learns the less one knows.

I was not aware of the concept of grid systems.

The AT&T subpoena response lists the data source as "SCAMP" if that means anything.

 
Posted : 17/08/2016 12:32 am
(@trewmte)
Posts: 1877
Noble Member
 

The AT&T subpoena response lists the data source as "SCAMP" if that means anything.

Using only the single reference "SCAMP", are you saying military systems are involved?

Have a read through these materials "SCAMP"

https://www.astromatic.net/pubsvn/software/scamp/trunk/doc/scamp.pdf

https://www.aao.gov.au/files/OTW2014/talks/CL%20-%20Working%20With%20Your%20Data.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/URC-117_Ground_Wave_Emergency_Network

 
Posted : 17/08/2016 9:45 am
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