The Wireless Application Service Providers` Association (WASPA) expects to have its code of conduct finalised by the end of March.
According to Neil Hutchinson, chairman of the code of conduct committee, the second draft of the code has been presented to members and the organisation is awaiting comment on it.
WASPA was established late last year as a watchdog body to protect service providers and give consumers an avenue of recourse, and is primarily focused on protecting the mobile industry against unscrupulous SMS services that rip off consumers.
"The cut-off date for comment is 20 February, after which we will work on the third draft of the code, which we hope will be finished by the end of next month," says Hutchinson.
"The initial drafts have been a collation of relevant aspects of similar codes from Europe and Asia, as well as certain aspects of four other local codes, including that of the Advertising Standards Authority of SA."
He says that anyone who is a WASP, working with the networks, can comment on the draft code; it is not something that is exclusively reserved for WASPA members.
"A WASP seeking to view the draft code can contact our committee via the WASPA Web site and request to view it," he says.
"Once we have ascertained their relationship to the industry, we will allow them to view it and they can then pass their comments back to us."
He says the organisation has also asked for input from the major media players, such as the SABC.
"The actual drafting of the code has been done by Ant Brooks of the Internet Service Providers` Association (ISPA), who also drafted ISPA`s code," says Hutchinson.
"Once we have finalised the code, it will become a promulgation issue through government, but at least the WASPs and the network operators will have something tangible to work with."
Related stories:
Phone spam plague spreading
WASPA developing code of conduct
WASPA born today
Dodgy SMS services feel WASPA`s sting
Share