Transmitting location data in wireless networks

A wireless network computing device comprising:

• a processor via which the wireless network computing device encodes location data into an information element, where the location data identifies a physical location of the wireless network computing device, and where the information element comprises:
• an information element identifier field that comprises a first value that indicates a type of the information element,
• a location data value field that comprises a second value that identifies at least a portion of the physical location,
• a location data type field that comprises a third value that indicates a type of the at least a portion of the physical location identified in the second value, where the type indicates that the second value in the location data value field comprises an error amount, and where the error amount indicates an estimated error radius around the physical location, and
• a unique identifier field that compromises a fourth value that indicates a particular organization generating the location data encoded in the information element;
• and
• a network adapter via which the wireless network computing device transmits a beacon that includes information element encoded with the location data.

At least one computer-readable medium comprising:

• memory that comprises computer-executable instructions that, based on execution by a wireless network computing device, configure the wireless network computing device to perform actions comprising:
• encoding, by the wireless network computing device, location data into an information element, where the location data identifies a physical location of the wireless network computing device, and where the information element comprises:
• an information element identifier field that comprises a first value that indicates a type of the information element,
• a location data value field that comprises a second value that identifies at least a portion of the physical location,
• a location data type field that comprises a third value that indicates a type of the at least a portion of the physical location identified in the second value, where the type indicates that the second value in the location data value field comprises an error amount, and where the error amount indicates an estimated error radius around the physical location, and
• a unique identifier field that compromises a fourth value that indicates a particular organization generating the location data encoded in the information element;
• and
• transmitting, by the wireless network computing device, a beacon that includes the information element encoded with the location data.