OXFORD, United Kingdom-While publicly denying they have any plans to offer soft porn via their next-generation networks, deals are being signed that will see an increasing level of adult services become available over European mobile networks.
All of Europe’s major cell-phone operators, increasingly keen to find almost any content that will drive the uptake of high-speed services, are said to have agreed to contracts with some of the better known providers of “top-shelf” magazines. These deals should enable owners of multimedia message service (MMS) and eventually third-generation (3G)-capable phones to access the content in return for payment. Users of the Vodafone Live! service are already being charged to access games, ring tones, pictures and content from tabloid publishers, such as Sun newspaper and the men’s magazine, FHM.
This move into uncharted waters is likely to attract the attention of several regulatory bodies that could force mobile operators to introduce a content classification rating system for picture and video messaging prior to opening the way for adult-only mobile-phone services.
