As promised last week, CTIA and the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) today announced a new rating system for mobile applications. According to a press release, the rating system has been adopted by mainly carrier storefronts, including AT&T, Microsoft, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless.

The announcement is an extension of CTIA's 2010 Guidelines for Application Content Classification and Rating.

When developers submit their applications to a participating storefront, they will be able to complete a short questionnaire that is designed to assess an application's content and context with respect to its age-appropriateness. The applications are then rated almost instantly.

Each rated app is issued a certificate and a unique identifying code that may be subsequently submitted to other storefronts, avoiding the need for developers to repeat the rating process.

The ESRB says it will routinely test the most popular applications and closely monitor consumer complaints to ensure that the ratings are accurate. If an inappropriate rating is found to have been assigned, ESRB will promptly adjust the rating and will notify the developer and the storefront(s) that have the application to ensure consumers have reliable information.

"Today's announcement is another example of our industry's continued commitment to informing parents and consumers about the content and contextual material that is available in mobile applications," said CTIA President and CEO Steve Largent.

According to CTIA and the ESRB, other storefronts have expressed interest in participating in the ratings system.