Nokia challenge Google with map service

Mobile phone maker Nokia today announced a free global navigation service for its smart phones, in a drive to counter a similar move by Google.

The service, with detailed maps for more than 180 countries, will also have voice guidance in 46 languages in 74 countries.

The service will be immediately available for download on Nokia’s Ovi Map site, and from March all new Nokia GPS-enabled smart phones will include the new version of Ovi Maps.

They will also have free access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides that have information on more than 1,000 destinations globally.

The announcement follows a similar move by Google to provide free navigation services on handsets.

Research firm Canalys estimated that in 2009 some 27 million people worldwide were using the global positioning system, or GPS, on handsets.

The Finnish company’s new service could increase the number of GPS navigation users to 50 million, through a download of the new Ovi Maps available immediately.

The Finland-based phone maker is increasingly turning to providing services for users, such as music and video downloads, navigational maps and games, and said that by the end of 2011 it will have 300 million “active users of its services.”