Location accuracy and compliance rates for location information from South Korea’s three mobile carriers provided to emergency rescue agencies such as the fire service and police have improved, the data show.

The Broadcast Media Telecommunications Commission on April 21 released the results of its 2025 quality measurement of emergency rescue location information for the three mobile carriers and mobile handsets.

The 2025 tests measured, by positioning method, location accuracy, location response time and compliance rates for location standards. Methods included cell tower, global positioning system (GPS), WiFi and hybrid positioning on Apple iPhones. Measurements were taken at 170 sites nationwide.

The results showed average location accuracy for the three carriers using the cell tower method improved to 22.0 metres from 25.0 metres a year earlier. Response time increased slightly to 1.9 seconds from 1.4 seconds. The compliance rate was 99.6 percent.

The GPS method showed improved location accuracy, to 12.3 metres from 12.7 metres, but response time increased slightly to 2.4 seconds from 1.7 seconds. The compliance rate improved to 99.2 percent from 99.0 percent.

The WiFi method showed improved location accuracy, to 17.1 metres from 18.7 metres, while response time was unchanged at 2.4 seconds. The compliance rate improved to 99.4 percent from 98.9 percent.

For cell tower-based accuracy, KT was the most accurate at 15.1 metres, followed by SK Telecom at 22.3 metres and LG Uplus at 23.3 metres. For GPS, SKT was most accurate at 9.2 metres, followed by KT at 13.1 metres and LG Uplus at 16.0 metres. For WiFi, results were 12.6 metres for SKT, 14.9 metres for KT and 21.6 metres for LG Uplus.

Response times for the cell tower method were 1.6 seconds for SKT, 1.2 seconds for KT and 2.8 seconds for LG Uplus. For GPS, they were 2.1 seconds for SKT, 1.6 seconds for KT and 3.6 seconds for LG Uplus. For WiFi, they were 2.6 seconds for SKT, 1.6 seconds for KT and 3.1 seconds for LG Uplus.

Compliance rates for the cell tower method were 99.5 percent for SKT, 100 percent for KT and 99.3 percent for LG Uplus. For GPS, they were 99.5 percent for SKT, 99.8 percent for KT and 98.3 percent for LG Uplus. For WiFi, compliance rates were 99.0 percent for SKT, 99.8 percent for KT and 99.4 percent for LG Uplus.

Apple iPhones, included for the first time in the 2025 tests, provide hybrid positioning information calculated by the device itself when emergency rescue agencies request GPS location data. Location accuracy was 24.3 metres, response time was 17.6 seconds and the compliance rate was 97.5 percent. Apple said it plans to improve iPhone location response times by early next year.

The commission also examined emergency rescue location information functions on mobile handsets. It checked whether 24 models, including domestic unlocked phones, devices used after SIM transfers, kids’ phones and foreign-made handsets, provided location information by cell tower, GPS and WiFi when an emergency rescue request is made.

Cell tower-based location information was provided on all handsets regardless of type. GPS-based location information was provided on domestic unlocked phones, SIM-transfer devices, kids’ phones and Xiaomi devices.

Apple devices were found to provide hybrid positioning information calculated by the device itself instead of GPS. WiFi-based location information was provided on domestic unlocked phones, SIM-transfer devices and kids’ phones, but was confirmed as not provided on foreign-made handsets such as Xiaomi and Apple.

Commission Chairman Jong-cheol Kim (김종철) said, "Based on these results, we will work closely with the industry and others to raise the quality level of emergency rescue location information step by step." He added, "We will seek whether there are aspects that can be reasonably improved in related standards and systems."