Notes on Cell Location

Operators don't publish cell or mast data and are known to periodically change cell ids to hamper independent cell mapping.

The UK government maintains a website publishing mast locations and cell id data for UK mobile and radio networks. Data is only made available as maps of mast locations. See - http://www.sitefinder.radio.gov.uk

Privacy issues: using Nokia phone (Orange UK, Germany) you must agree to being located per request.

User-maintained global cell map (compatible with Symbian phones) - http://www.cellspotting.com 

Location finding software for GPS, WiFi and GSM devices - http://www.placelab.org

Alternatives:

Location by wifi using Ekahau. Sites must be surveyed in advance to produce maps of locations - http://www.ekahau.com/products/sitesurvey/ 

Reading 2d barcodes using camera-phones to encode physical locations - http://www.semacode.com