AT&T Mobility gives parents greater control over kids cellphone usage

AT&T Mobility has joined the ranks of wireless companies offering parents control over their children’s wireless usage.
The operator today introduced a Web-based service, Smart Limits for Wireless, to allow parents to set usage limits on talk time, text messaging, instant messaging and downloads. The service also allows management of phone use, including allocating minutes among users of family plans and restricting access to the mobile Web. Parents can block calls from certain numbers and filter access to inappropriate content, and the online nature of the controls allows parents to change the limits whenever they choose.
No special handset is required, according to AT&T Mobility, and the service costs $5 per month.
The new controls allow parents to:
–Limit the number of wireless minutes their child can use; however, calls and text messages to designated “allowed numbers” and 911 are permitted regardless of limits.
–Limit the number of text and instant messages a child can send.
–Set a dollar figure for purchases of downloadable content.
–Control the days of the week and times of day that a phone can be used.
–Block calls and SMS to and from specific numbers.
–Filter access to Internet content that is inappropriate for children.
AT&T Mobility said that in a recent survey conducted by the company, 84% of consumers indicated that they “believe parental controls and safety tools are extremely or very important in keeping children safe while they use today’s entertainment and communications technologies.” The survey also showed that almost one-third of those adults did not feel they had adequate knowledge of how to use such controls.
Similar control mechanisms were first introduced by mobile virtual network operator Disney Mobile, and are also offered by kid-focused MVNO Kajeet Inc. Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. both offer child-tracking GPS services.