There are plenty of ways to track/ping mobiles. One option is to ping a mobile, there are many different types of pings you can do. For example you can ping a mobile to obtain its current service provider and phone status. This is done all the time, I do it on all the data in the database on a regular basis to find out if a phone is on/off/disconnected and to help track when a mobile changes over to a know person. This is very easily done and cheap.
Here is an example of those results:
Current status valid (subscriber present)
Status Description The message delivered successfully
Status Duration perm
Carrier Vodafone
Timestamp Wednesday, September 21, 2016 13:56:20 +1000
Number valid
Formatted xxxx xxx xxx
Type Digital Mobile Service
Range Holder Vodafone Australia Pty Limited
Location ping is a little different as you are pulling back data on the current tower they are going through and other towers close by.
A gps ping is using the GPS on the persons phone to obtain the location. Wifi can also be used to obtain a location (close by). Obtaining the location of a person from their mobile phone is easier for the general public to do than the police as they have processes they have to go through. 000 calls are different as they are a "Life threatening" service so your location is needed in case you can't speak on the phone.
Police are not about to obtain everyone's location because it would be handy to know, there is no need as your phone provider does that for them. Your location is always logged based on the towers you are currently going through and that data is help by your phone carrier. This is what all the fuss was about a few years ago when they wanted carriers to store the info for a longer period of time. Also timed well with the ISP providers having to store logs longer.
It is much easier for the private sector to locate you without your knowledge. For example, download a phone app for free?
Not really free, they are collecting your data. I believe I made a post here a few years ago explaining how they do that. I can activate your GPS and Wifi on your mobile anytime I like if you download an app I created that offers that. You have no control over your phone if you download apps that have this feature.
Sure, police will ping phones. I had a detective ask me to find one of his subjects mobiles for him and he told me "Once you get his number I can ping his location to the Dot". However that person was listed as Australia's most wanted and he had a warrant to do that.
All the technology aside though, it doesn't matter if you have a phone or not, you can always be located unless you live off the grid and pay cash. I dare say the majority of the users on this forum can be located very easily. If you rent a property! your on a database and it would take about 20 seconds for me to find you. If you own a property! again you are on a database and can be found unless you had your details withheld at the time of sale.
If you have a email address, phone number, family member. Just about anything can make you easy to locate. Everyone is different of course and takes different steps not to be found. Some people get it right, some people have family members give your details away and others make mistakes along the way and can be located again.
Not really free, they are collecting your data. I believe I made a post here a few years ago explaining how they do that. I can activate your GPS and Wifi on your mobile anytime I like if you download an app I created that offers that. You have no control over your phone if you download apps that have this feature.