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PROPOSALS SOUGHT ON 3G PHONE SAFEGUARDS
Proposals are being sought on what measures mobile phone companies intend implementing to protect children when the next generation of mobile phones come on stream later this year. Dermot Ahern, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources said he still believed the introduction of a national register of the next generation 3G phones was necessary but he would await proposals being put together by the mobile phone companies. The new generation phones are capable of carrying video clips and will be the most advanced technologically available. Minister Ahern said that there is potential for abuse of mobile phone technology and that even the use of current generation technology has caused concern to the Gardaí. 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. www.dcmnr.gov.ie