Airtel launches voice-based navigation service in Chennai

Bharti Airtel, the country's largest telephone operator by subscribers, has launched a new application – SmartDrive - that enables users to view their location on a map and plan the route from one place to another.

The application, which was launched earlier in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), Mumbai and Bangalore, was launched in Chennai today. The service would also be live in Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune by December.

"SmartDrive is assisted by a voice based turn by turn navigation that gives real time information updates on traffic situation on roads around. It also suggests the subscriber an alternate route in case of traffic congestion on the normal route,'' the company said in a statement.

"It also suggests to the subscriber an alternate route in case of traffic congestion on the normal route," it added.

It covers information about points of interest (POI), voice-based navigation and live traffic information.

Traffic is calculated basis the number of GPS devices being used on the particular road and their average speed and historical trends of traffic.