Mobile Operators Association launched

27 January 2003

From today, 27 January 2003, the five UK mobile phone operators - 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone - will be represented on health and planning issues by the Mobile Operators Association (MOA) focussing on responsible network development.

Mike Dolan, Executive Director of the Mobile Operators Association, said: "the MOA name is easily recognisable and the focus on responsible network development defines its remit. This will assist those with whom we deal to understand who we are and what we do."

He added: "with 47 million mobile phone users in the UK there is a need to achieve the right balance between providing a network of radio base stations to support a hugely popular and useful technology on the one hand and properly addressing environmental issues and community concerns on the other."

In August 2001 the operators launched their Ten Commitments to best siting practice with an emphasis on significantly improved consultation with local councils and the communities they serve. The MOA and the operators are committed to work with national governments, local councils, and community groups to deliver a transparent and responsible industry approach to the development of mobile phone networks.

Notes to Editors

1. The MOA was formerly known as the Mobile Telecoms Advisory Group within the Federation of the Electronics Industry (FEI). The FEI has merged with another trade association with a much broader remit so the operators decided to establish their health and planning group as a separate entity.

2. Mike Dolan is the Executive Director of the Mobile Operators Association (MOA). He was formerly Director of the Mobile Telecoms Advisory Group.

3. The MOA website is www.mobilemastinfo.com

4. The Ten Commitments to best siting practice are:

• develop, with other stakeholders, clear standards and procedures to deliver significantly improved consultation with local communities
• participate in obligatory pre-rollout and pre-application consultation with local planning authorities
• publish clear, transparent and accountable criteria and cross-industry agreement on site sharing, against which progress will be published regularly
• establish professional development workshops on technological developments within telecommunications for local authority officers and elected members
• deliver, with the UK Government, a database of information available to the public on radio base stations
• assess all radio base stations for international (ICNIRP) compliance for public exposure, and produce a programme for ICNIRP compliance for all radio base stations as recommended by the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones
• provide, as part of planning applications for radio base stations, a certification of compliance with ICNIRP public exposure guidelines
• provide specific staff resources to respond to complaints and enquiries about radio base stations, within ten working days
• begin financially supporting the UK Government's independent scientific research programme on mobile communications health issues
• develop standard supporting documentation for all planning submissions whether full planning or prior approval

5. For more information please contact Christine Jude 0207 331 2029, 07714 241924, email christinejude@ukmoa.org or Nicole Hughes 0207 331 2052, 07736 110787, email nicolehughes@ukmoa.org