GPS receivers to be embedded into SIM cards

simcard_generic So apparently GPS chips are getting really, really small. Small enough to fit onto tiny SIM cards, as telephony electronics company Sagem has teamed up with GPS experts BlueSky Positioning on technology that “incorporates a GPS receiver and a proprietary antenna into the SIM card, enabling mobile operators to deploy applications with no need for software or hardware changes,” according to a recent press release.

The technology was announced last year but is apparently just about ready for prime time. The SIM cards will use assisted GPS (A-GPS) to help with E112 and E911 emergency location services in Europe and the US and can also “support generic location-based services such as navigation, ‘find a place or person’ services, location-aware games,” and more. No word on carriers or exact availability yet.