Minister to register next generation mobile phone users

PRE-PAID phones bought off the shelf anonymously will no longer be available when new 3G (third-generation) handsets are introduced early next year.

Communications Minister Dermot Ahern yesterday indicated he will introduce a register for 3G phones to protect children and also to prevent criminals from exploiting the anonymity currently afforded by pre-pay phones which can’t be traced back to an owner.

The long-awaited 3G platform will provide advanced technology on hand-sets including the capacity to down-load video clips and streams.

However, rather than moving unilaterally to set up a register Mr Ahern has asked the three telecom companies awarded 3G licences - Vodafone, O2 and Hutchison/Whampoa - to come up with proposals by early next month.

Mr Ahern said yesterday he wants the three companies to suggest safeguards to protect children.

Mr Ahern said he believed the introduction of a national 3G register was necessary but added that he was willing to hear proposals.

“There is potential for abuse of mobile phone technology and even the use of current generation technology has caused concern to the gardaí.

“The use of prepaid mobile phones, where no registration is required, is popular among criminal elements because of the fact that they cannot be traced.

“The more advanced nature of 3G mobiles, with capability of carrying video clips, means there is potential for them to be used inappropriately with little or no risk of any consequence if there is no way of tracing an owner,” he said.

This potential for inappropriate and damaging use of these phones, particularly in relation to children, he said, led him to the conclusion that a register of the names of all users would be required.

“While a register may not address all of the issues, other safeguards such as filtering technologies and track and trace systems may lead to some people thinking twice before utilising such phones for the wrong purposes,” he commented.

“I know that some mobile phone companies have reservations about introducing such a register but I believe it will send out a message that Ireland, while embracing the latest in technology, is determined to do all it can to ensure safeguards are in place.”

In late spring, a survey of the Irish communications market showed that there are now 3.4 million mobile phones in Ireland, and the average user sends 82 text messages per month. The mobile penetration rate in Ireland reached 87% at the end of 2003, an increase of 4% on the previous quarter. The 3G licences were awarded at the height of the dotcom bubble and most analysts concur that the prices paid in Ireland - as elsewhere - were on the high side.

The introduction of 3G handsets has been subject to a series of delays, mainly due to technology and pricing issues.

It is now thought unlikely they will be available in Ireland in time for the crucial Christmas market.