CTIA launches mobile app ratings program

March 23, 2011 — 6:59am ET | By Jason Ankeny

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ORLANDO, Fla.--CTIA-The Wireless Association outlined plans to develop a mobile application ratings initiative here at the organization's annual spring conference. Expected to launch prior to the end of 2011, the program is based on CTIA's Guidelines for App Content Classification and Ratings, which call for voluntary self-certification of applications. According to CTIA, the rating scale will offer parents the information necessary to accurately determine which applications are appropriate for their children. Participating CTIA member app stores have already agreed to adopt the guidelines.

In related CTIA news, the association reports U.S. wireless subscriber connections reached 302.9 million by the end of 2010, up 6 percent year-over-year, translating to a nationwide penetration rate of 96 percent. Subscribers sent and received 2.052 trillion text messages and 55.6 billion MMS messages. Data traffic on wireless networks reached 226.5 billion megabytes during the second half of 2010, up 110 percent compared to the last six months of 2009; 78.2 million U.S. consumers now own smartphones, and the number of web-capable devices reached 242 million.

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