AMTA Snapshot Edition 93

Safety is your most important call this Christmas on the road The Minister for Infrastructure,Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese, has joined forces with Australian Automobile Association and the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association to urge drivers not to use illegal hand-held phones while driving and exercise caution when making hands-free calls.

AMTA combines with trucking industry on safety issues Australia’s professional truck drivers will receive common-sense advice on the safe use of mobile phones through a new fact sheet developed by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) in partnership with the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and the National Transport Commission (NTC).

Thank you for your readership of Snapshot in 2007 We thank you for interest in Snapshot through the year. We hope that it provides you with a weekly roundup of the things you need to know and what AMTA’s stance is on a range of issues impacting on the mobile telecommunications industry.

ACMA report finds 80% of parents see benefits in children’s use of mobiles The average family home in Australia has almost three televisions, three mobile phones, two computers, two DVD players and a video-game console. One in five children has a TV in their bedroom, with the same amount finding space for a PC — a rate which has more than doubled from 10 years ago.

MobileMuster announces “Old Phones New Trees” Projects Sixteen community groups across Australia will plant trees over the next 12 months at more than 20 regional and coastal sites as a result of the MobileMuster “Old Phones, New Trees” campaign.

Scientific study finds driving and use of hand-held mobiles is not widespread A recent scientific study found that fewer than two per cent of drivers use a hand-held mobile phone while driving at any one time.

Mobile calls take off with international airlines The Australian Financial Review reported this week that Air France will allow passengers to make mobile phone calls on one of its Airbus A318s in an upcoming trial, as international airlines gauge public reaction to the concept.

ATUG 2008 Broadband Awards The Broadband Awards started in 2007 and are designed to raise awareness of the benefits of broadband by focusing on the successful applications of broadband in categories such as Business, Government, Community, Sales/Marketing, Agriculture, Education and Health sectors.

Mobile phone for noisy places A Japanese company has unveiled a new device that will allow people "speak" through their ear so they can use their mobile telephones in noisy areas, Australian IT reports

msg 2 candidates: u get more votes with txt Text messaging is playing a growing role in the US 2008 presidential race as a handful of candidates look to the technology to reach younger voters often glued to their mobile phones, says this week’s CTIA Smartbrief quoting an AFP report.