AMTA Snapshot Edition 108

AMTA a “talking head” at DBCDE briefing this week The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association was this week invited to be part of the Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy’s “Talking Heads” program and was given the opportunity to address 120 Departmental staff and outline the policies and programs of the mobile telecommunications industry.

Recycle your old mobiles and help plant more trees. Australians can join a campaign to plant thousands of native trees for free by recycling their old mobile phones between now and World Environment Day on June 5.

Mobiles challenge fixed line phones as the main form of communications for household consumers A report released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority shows that 90 per cent of household consumers have both a fixed line phone and mobile phone, with nearly half (45 per cent) preferring to use mobiles as their main voice communications.

Nominations for privacy awards Nominations are open for Australian Privacy Awards. AMTA members are invited to nominate for the 2008 Australian Privacy Awards, which recognise and reward good privacy practices across the private and public sectors. An initiative of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, the Awards will be presented in four categories - Large Business Award, Microsoft Small-Medium Business Award, Community and NGO Award, and the Symantec Government Award - with an overall Grand Award presented to the most outstanding entrant.

Think Before You Ban: A Handheld Is a Powerful Learning Tool When many teachers encounter technology that could be disruptive to class, their first reaction is to simply ban it from the classroom. However, cell phones and smartphones can also be used as learning tools, writes Studywiz Spark Executive VP Bob Longo in the CTIA bulletin. Policies regarding handhelds and cell phones should focus on appropriate use policies, not out-and-out bans.

Nearly half of NZ children use a mobile phone, report finds New Zealand’s Broadcasting Standards Authority BSA) has found that nearly half of the country’s children (42%) use a mobile phone. The report found that NZ children are savvy media users and that while there has been an explosive growth in media devices in homes in the past few years, television remains the principal form of entertainment, Cellular-News reports this week.

Update on financial trends in the commercial television industry In the 20 year period from 1979-80, commercial television revenues outpaced the general Australian economy. However, since 2000 television revenue growth has slowed, according to a report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.