• by Aaron Baar , April 15, 2009

Parents are likely to call it a godsend, and kids will probably call it an intrusion, but AT&T is introducing a new service to family plan customers through which members can locate another member's phone via the Web.

The company will initially promote the service through its att.com Web site, primarily while promoting other products and services, according to a company representative. In-store materials and direct-to-consumer communications are slated for the weeks ahead, although she declined to offer specifics.

The new FamilyMap service -- which will be available for an additional subscriber charge of $9.99 for two phones and $14.99 for five -- will enable AT&T customers to see a phone's location, as well as details of surrounding landmarks. The tool will also come with a scheduling option, where parents can receive alerts at specified times to check on a child's location.

AT&T says more than 60% of its wireless customers are part of a family plan or multiple-line account.

Sprint and Verizon have similar GPS location plans.