3G mobiles could help fight crime

It's the mobile phone text message that no one wants to receive: "Your home burglar alarm has been activated. Please dial your security number." And yet it could be a blessing in disguise. You phone the number and there, on the screen of your phone, is the image of a man forcing open your front door.

You phone the police, alerting them to the fact this isn't a false alarm, and hope they arrive in time to apprehend the offender.

Even if they don't, the pictures, which have been stored on a computer's hard disk, could help them to identify the burglar, and when the case comes to court, ensure the offender is put behind bars.

The technology involved, which is being trialled, could have even wider applications. In the unlikely setting of the Isle of Man, Manx Telecom is testing a prototype system.

Head of applications and services, Martin Tufft, says: "Technology like this could prove an extremely valuable tool in tackling crime as well as providing peace of mind.

"It's not only a crime deterrent. It might be used by working parents to check up on their children in a nursery, or even to keep an eye on the babysitter. As well as phoning in to watch live video, you can access an archive of images. So, for example, you could check whether the babysitter was in the lounge at 9.33."

Naturally, it is new technology that has made this all possible. In the first example, a burglar alarm is linked to a computer and security camera - even a cheap computer web camera will do the job. When the alarm is tripped, the computer automatically sends an alert down the phone line, which is forwarded to your mobile.

At the same time the camera starts recording images and sending them down the line onto a remote computer. With a suitable mobile handset, you can then access the images: either stills, through WAP (wireless application protocol), or video, using your phone in conjunction with a laptop computer.

But there is a snag: the mobile phone systems that make all this possible are currently only being tested in Japan, Monaco and the Isle of Man. They are 3G - third generation - networks, the next incarnation of mobile networks that enable users to receive music, video, text and to use interactive services at speeds up to 40 times faster than what is currently possible. You also need a special handset to receive 3G services.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Naturally, the police would welcome anything which would assist in the gathering of evidence to help secure convictions of burglars. Although it is too early to say whether this system will be effective, it will be interesting to monitor its progress.

"There is a problem at the moment with the large number of false alarms our officers have to respond to as a result of burglar alarms going off due to faults or other factors. We would be eager to ensure that any new device did not add to this waste of police resources."

Exactly when we will all be able to access this super-fast mobile future - and look forward to a time when burglars will have something more to worry about than our locks - depends upon the major networks in the UK that paid billions of pounds for their 3G licences - BT, Orange, Vodafone, One2One and Hutchison 3G.

A spokesman for BT said: "3G will be available around the middle of 2003, subject to the availability of dual-mode handsets that can use the service."