Cell companies have the ability to track your movements real time from the cell towers and knows what tower you are connecting to if it is the companies tower or an affiliate they also can tell if your phone was turned off and for how long when it comes back online.. I have problems with my cell phone in congested NJ and while i was driving I had a level 3 engineer tracking my location and told me exactly where I was driving what direction and what towers I was grabbing or not and if the tower was overloaded or have reduced capacity.. So it is certainly possible.
This needs some clarification.
Cell phones connect to carrier networks via "cells", which are installed at various locations across the broader landscape. Cells may be installed as a stand-alone configuration that includes a tower(s) with antenna and a small structure containing transmitter(s), receiver(s) and control electronics (common to all cell installations). Cells may also be installed in an existing structure such as an office building with antenna installed at the top or sides of the building and low-power installations designed to provide service to a small area, such as cell phone stores and coffee houses, etc.
I'll use 'cell' from this point on, which implies it could reference any of the typical installations noted above.
Mobile phones connect to a cell with the strongest signal, which might not necessarily be the closest in straight-line distance and only if that cell has channels available to accommodate the connection. If it doesn't the phone will attempt connection to the next strongest signal, etc.
As a phone is leaving the coverage area of the cell to which it is then-currently connected it will attempt to connect to the next strongest-signal cell, etc. The phone tracks multiple cells within its receive range and monitors the signal level and channel availability of each. Cells also monitor phones within range. Note that the phones must be compatible with the coding system in use for the particular carrier.
The hand-off process of the phone signal between cells provides what is perceived as a 'seamless' connection as the phone moves through coverage areas.
An important thing to note is this is an oversimplification of the process but it is good enough for this discussion.
Now we get to the point. With the phone and the cells tracking and logging signal levels between them, technicians are able to obtain that data and apply algorithms to *estimate* an approximate location of a phone. Factors that affect that estimation include signal reflections and obstructions; i.e., a reflected signal travels a longer distance than a line-of-sight signal and provides an inaccurate level reading that makes it appear a phone is farther from a cell than the reality.
Given that, LE may only be provided with approximations or 'best guesses' that could be inaccurate by miles.
Most, if not all phones sold today include GPS capability, which has nothing to do (at a basic level) with cell signals. GPS triangulates to multiple satellite signals and calculates to very nearly-accurate locations, measured in single-digit feet/meters.
If GPS tracking is enabled on a phone then LE may be provided with very accurate location detail. Without GPS, it is very difficult to pinpoint a location.
Again, this is an oversimplification of the processes but I hope my explanation is understandable in concept.
It is frustrating because we want to know it all, but if we knew her last spot, that still wouldn’t bring us any closer to knowing anything. We would just have a new can of theories to ponder.
