AMTA Snapshot Edition 69

The location is Sydney and there’ll be lots of networking at the AMTA Conference on July 16-17 Location-based services and online social networking are just two of the topics of interest to be explored at the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) Annual Conference is on in Sydney on July 16-17. The Conference will be opened by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, who is going to release an Access Economics report on the Economic Significance of the Industry.

AMTA works with law enforcement agencies to help protect citizens from security threats The Australian telecommunications industry recognizes its responsibility to work with law enforcement agencies to assist them in pursuing objectives to safeguard our community from security threats and help protect our citizens, AMTA Chief Executive Officer, Chris Althaus, said.

AMTA joins National Transport Commission and peak trucking body on safe driving campaign AMTA has joined the National Transport Commission and the Australian Trucking Association in a joint initiative to make drivers of heavy transport vehicles aware of safety issues of using mobile phones while driving.

New research project to shed light on claims that mobiles are making us slaves to work Australians were getting depressed because they had become slaves to work and incessant communication, former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett said this week. The issue of work/life balance and the impact of mobile phones is the focus research undertaken by some of Australia’s leading social researchers from the Australian National University, the University of New England and the University of New South Wales.

Today is D-Day for pick-ups of Old Phones New Trees collections Hundreds of MobileMuster collection points are packing up their old mobile phones and shipping them in for recycling so they can be counted as part of the Old Phones New Trees campaign. This campaign, a joint initiative of MobileMuster and Landcare Australia, undertakes to plant a tree for free for every handset that is handed in for recycling between 21 May and 30 June 2007.

AMTA seeks minor amendments to Interception Bill AMTA is preparing a submission to the Senate inquiry for the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2007 which is due 11 July 2007.

Teenagers in Virginia banned from using mobile phones while driving Teenagers from the state of Virginia in the United States are no longer allowed to talk on a cell phone while driving, thanks to a law passed by the Virginia legislature which took effect July 1.