Question: How does the phone system locate...

Question: How does the phone system locate your cellular phone when you are out of your normal calling area?

Answer: The same way it does when you are in your normal area, according to Todd Hollenbeck of Verizon Wireless. Each cell (ground station) in the country continuously transmits a unique identifier, which is recognized by your phone. Your phone also transmits a unique identifier that tells what city it is based in and what company it uses (the area code and the prefix). That identifier is transmitted whenever a new cell site is detected while the phone is moving or about every 15 minutes when the phone is stationary. The site then sends a message to the company’s central computer noting where the phone is.