---
title: "SDK mobile data vs other sources of 'mobile' data"
url: "https://support.accurat.ai/en/article/sdk-mobile-data-vs-other-sources-of-mobile-data"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2025-03-17T21:40:56.129Z"
---

# SDK mobile data vs other sources of 'mobile' data

Multiple **mobile location data** sources exist. Accurat’s SDK collected location data is often confused for alternatives such as telco data (e.g. Proximus data) or bidstream data (collected on mobile phones via ad serving systems). 

**Bidstream location data**, collected from online ads, is generally less precise than GPS as it relies on indirect sources like IP addresses and Wi-Fi networks, providing only an approximate location. **GPS data** collected via an SDK, on the other hand, is obtained directly via smartphones built-in GPS antennas to deliver highly accurate positioning, typically within meters. Telco data, finally, is typically collected whenever a mobile phone connects to the network (when calling, texting or sending data). Given a 42% coverage for Proximus as a market leader, this data set is huge and requires limited extrapolation efforts. However the accuracy is limited. A user can be identified to be somewhere in a zone of typically multiple square kilometers. 

While **bidstream data** is useful for identifying broad trends and user behavior patterns, it is not suitable for applications requiring precision. **Telco data** is best used for trends on larger zones (such as municipalities) whereas **GPS data** is far more reliable for navigation, real-time tracking and other location-based services where accuracy is crucial.