Shanghai Telecom, the city's largest fixed-network telephone operator, has teamed with the Shanghai Education Commission to launch a handset for children to allow parents to check the location of their families using a global positioning system (GPS).

 

The company gave 2,000 free "Little Smart" handsets to primary and middle school students in the city yesterday. The phones have only five pre-set numbers instead of a normal keypad and have built in GPS. Parents can track their child's location by visiting Shanghai Telecom's Website, making a phone call or using the short message service.

 

While students could be concerned about their privacy some teachers said the phones may distract children while at school.

 

"The phones do help to ease parents' concern (on their children's safety) but it makes our management more difficult because children tend to compete with each other in owning new gadgets first," said Zhu Zhengping, an official with Jing'an Education Academy Affiliated School.

 

Students with the "Little Smart" phone can call only five numbers chosen by their parents. They can also limit the phone's working period. Incoming calls during class hours can be blocked but children can view records of missed calls.

 

"We've eliminated most of the functions that normal cell phones have," said a manager surnamed Zhu with Shanghai Telecom & Smartel Co Ltd. "The handset is simply expected to be a round-the-clock safeguard for parents and children."

 

The service package is priced at 29 yuan (US$3.62) per month, Zhu said.

 

(Shanghai Daily December 30, 2006)