A method and system for locating a mobile terminal in a multicell radio system are provided. A plurality of radio base stations detect the field strength of a data transmission of the mobile terminal and the location of the mobile terminal is determined the values are provided. The mobile terminal is switched into an active state, then a plurality of the radio base stations are set to the radio channel used by the mobile terminal to be located, and the mobile terminal is prompted to emit a response message as a result of the communication of a test data transmission. The received field strength of the received response message is measured by the radio base stations and communicated to a central device, after which the location of the mobile terminal is determined by the central device on the basis of the measured values.