Call Detail Records & Cell-Site Analysis
A Practical Baseline Guide for Defense Investigators and Attorneys
Cellular providers create records as their networks deliver calls, messages, and data services. Some records identify cell sites or sectors associated with particular network events. Analysts may use those records to evaluate communications, activity, and possible device location over time.
These records can be important, but they are not a continuous GPS trail. A cell-site record usually identifies network activity associated with a device or account and the infrastructure used for that event. It does not automatically establish the precise location of the phone—or the location of a particular person.
This page helps defense investigators and attorneys establish the technical baseline needed to review call detail records, historical cell-site information, specialized location records, maps, and reported conclusions.