GSMA JOINS INTERNET CONTENT RATING ASSOCIATION (ICRA)



Tom Phillips appointed chairman of ICRA Board & Executive


London, UK, -/June 10, 2004 Wi-Fi Technology News/- The GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade association representing more than 630 GSM mobile network operators across 200 countries today announced that it has joined the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA).

ICRA's Board of Directors has also appointed Tom Phillips, Chief Government & Regulatory Affairs Officer of the GSMA as Chair of its Board and Executive Committee.


ICRA is an independent, non-profit, organization working with Internet content providers and other members of the industry to develop a filtering and labelling system that can be used by parents around the world to protect their children from potentially harmful material on the Internet.


The GSMA?s commitment to ICRA reflects its growing focus on the challenges and issues surrounding inappropriate content that can be potentially accessed by, or delivered to mobile devices.


?The new generation of mobile devices mean that it is possible to do almost everything on an Internet-enabled phone that can be done from an Internet enabled computer,? said Tom Phillips. ?Therefore the sharing of experiences on the lessons learned from the fixed Internet will be invaluable to the GSMA?s global operator community as it strives to create a safer mobile Internet environment.?


ICRA?s aim is to make content labelling standard for all internet content, so that the public can reliably expect what kind of content web sites offer. In particular, parents are encouraged to use filtering devices, ultimately making the internet a safer place for children. ICRA makes no value judgement on internet content - it is up to content providers to rate the type of content they display and help protect vulnerable members of society, like children.


Stephen Balkam, CEO, ICRA, said, "The GSM Association?s support for ICRA is a key development and a boost our efforts to encourage responsible Internet content access and labelling, helping parents to protect their children from potentially harmful material in the evolving world of mobile communications.?

About the GSM Association:

The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade association that exists to promote, protect and enhance the interests of GSM mobile operators throughout the world. In February 2004, it consisted of more than 630 second and third generation mobile operators and 130 manufacturers and suppliers. The Association's members provide mobile services to more than 1 Billion customers across more than 200 countries and territories around the world. The GSMA aims to accelerate the implementation of collectively identified, commercially prioritised operator requirements and to take leadership in representing the global GSM mobile operator community with one voice on a wide variety of issues nationally, regionally and globally.


The GSM family of wireless communications platforms, including GSM, GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and 3GSM (EDGE - Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution and W CDMA) account for 73 percent of the total digital wireless market today. The GSM Association is a unique organisation, with truly global reach, offering a full range of business, technical and public policy services to its members. For more information, visit the website at http://www.gsmworld.com



About ICRA:
http://www.icra.org

The Internet Content Rating Association is an international, independent organization that empowers the public, especially parents, to make informed decisions about electronic media by means of the open and objective labelling of content. The Internet Content Rating Association does not rate internet content - the content providers do that, using the ICRA system. ICRA makes no value judgement about sites.

ICRA is a non-profit making organisation with offices in both Brighton, UK and Washington DC, USA. Members include many of the internet industry's leading names from around the world.

Tom Phillips Tom has spent more than 20 years in the telecommunications industry. Before joining the GSMA, he was first Strategy Director and then Group Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs for Cable & Wireless PLC. Prior to C&W, Tom worked for PA Consulting Group, Orange and British Aerospace and has extensive international experience, particularly in Asia. Tom is a Chartered Engineer and holds an MBA from Cranfield and the University of Washington. For many years, Tom has also played a leading role in a number of influential think tanks and international organisations, including board membership of the UK-Japan 21st Century Group, the Caribbean Council for Europe and the Home Office Technical Advisory Board (TAB).