To pinpoint location, the Core Engine uses a massive reference network comprised of the known locations of over 100 million Wi-Fi access points and cellular towers. To develop this database, Skyhook has deployed drivers to survey every single street, highway, and alley in tens of thousands of cities and towns worldwide, scanning for Wi-Fi access points and cell towers plotting their precise geographic locations. Skyhook's extensive coverage area includes most major metro areas in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Submit a Wi-Fi Access Point

To help Skyhook further improve its Wi-Fi coverage, you can submit an access point to the Wi-Fi reference database.

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Wi-Fi Reference and Cellular Database

Skyhook's Wi-Fi and cellular database is the largest and most extensive in the world. Skyhook maintains the accuracy of this database through an ongoing and continuous process of data monitoring, analysis, and collection. The three main components are:

1. Baseline Data Collection and Establishing Coverage Areas

Data collection begins with identifying target geographic areas using population analysis. Skyhook territory planners build coverage schedules starting with population centers and then moving into residential and suburban areas.

Skyhook deploys a fleet of data collection vehicles to conduct a comprehensive access point survey within the target coverage areas. Every single passable street is included in the survey providing consistent coverage throughout the territory.

San Francisco Coverage Area

2. Automated Self-Healing Network

Each location transaction starts with a scan for nearby access points and cell towers. The resulting access point information is then compared against the central reference network. Known access points and towers (those already in the reference network) are used to calculate the location of the device.

Any access point or cell tower that is either not in the database or was previously associated with a different geographic location is automatically identified and its current position entered into the database. In this manner, the Core Engine automatically fixes and expands the reference network as it is being used.

3. Periodic Rescan

Depending on the aging of the survey data and the density of user-generated updates, Skyhook periodically will rescan entire coverage areas to recalibrate the reference network, ensuring that performance remains consistent over time. Every territory added to Skyhook coverage is continuously monitored to assess the quality of the reference network and determine whether a rescan is required.