The system maps where users are based on Google’s own cell towers. It’s being constructed independent of operators and is currently being beta-tested in the US.

Users open the Google map app on their phones and press the 0 key to move the map to their approximate location. Google is expected to eventually introduce local advertising that takes advantage of My Location.

It’s another aggressive move by Google into the mobile space, which could become an important component of its recently-unveiled open software initiative Android.