If rumours of a Bell Mobility leaked internal memo are true, Bell BlackBerry users could be in for a nasty surprise in the near future. The document indicates that Bell will throttle back the GPS signal used by BlackBerry devices (including the 8830, 8130 Pearl and 8330 Curve) resulting in GPS lock times of up to 10 minutes when using free GPS applications like Google Maps and BlackBerry Maps application (provided by RIM). The resolution of the GPS data could also be reduced from the existing 10 to 25 meter accuracy currently provided to as little as a range of 1 to 2.5 kilometers.
Customers who sign up for Bell’s own GPS Nav service (available for CAD$10/month + data rate plan) would continue to receive the untampered signal.
In the U.S., Verizon recently went a step further and blocked all GPS access except for software that ties into its own navigation services.