droidStory

At the height of the Mobile Map War, a small French company called Sensorly just launched an Android app that maps out wireless and Wi-Fi network coverage. This comes in handy to look-up ahead of time, whether or not a certain area has 3G coverage.

The way the app works is that your own phone reports its network experience, combined with location information (GPS and/or cell tower) back to Sensorly’s servers. The more people participate the more detailed maps get built.

Frankly, I’ve been wondering for a while why the wireless providers are not using this kind of technology to map out their problem spots.

It is not clear how many data samples are required and what statistical algorithms are being used for building a map. Also, problem phones like the Nexus One could potentially skew results by reporting insufficient 3G coverage for areas that in fact are working with other phones.

The app itself is a basic map viewer with a color coded overlay, with each color and shade representing a specific network and signal strength level.

The Android version currently maps only GSM and some Wi-Fi networks – sorry Droid users, but CDMA (Verizon and Sprint) maps are planned to be rolled-out in the coming weeks.

The company also plans to release versions for the iPhone and Windows Mobile.

The following maps are now available for free: