Identifying current tower

You need to have some kind of app that can show you your cellular network parameters. For CDMA (Verizon, Sprint) you need to look at the BID (Base Statiion ID) that's a unique identifier for the tower you are connected to.

The full "Global Cell ID" for CDMA that identifies you globally is: MCC-MNC-SID-BID
MCC= Mobile COuntry code (is 310 or 311 for the USA)
MNC= Mobile Network Code (a number identifying Verizon's network, 004 or 012 I think for Verizon)
SID= System ID (a smaller area inside Verizons network, maybe a city or state for example)
BID= Base Station ID (a unique tower inside that SID)

If you put all these numbers together, it's a unique ID that can show what Country, Network, Area and tower you are on. For GSM/UMTS (AT&T, T-Mobile) it's almost the same, except instead of SID-BID it's LAC-CID, which is basically the same thing. Google Maps uses this to position you (roughly) if you don't have access to GPS.

You can look at the website I made Cellumap Cellular Coverage Maps and you can view cell info by LAC/SID and CID/BID. Anyone can view the web-page, but if you want to use the app on your phone to send data, you need a Symbian or BlackBerry phone (but I'll make an Android app by the end of the summer, hopefully)

 

if you open Google Maps, in the menu go to "More" -> "About" and scrolll down and look for a line that starts with "myl" (that's my location) it should be followed by 4 sets of numbers, (ex: 310:12:123:4567), that should be your MCC:MNC:SID:BID

You can thank me by running Cellumap on your phone when I have it ready for Android