Wimbledon-based dealership DVH which trades under the Straightalk name is sponsoring British karate expert Paul McManus at the World Karate Championships in Philadelphia next week. McManus the third Dan Black Belt will be defending his world Championship title for Weapons Forms against 30 rivals.

This boosts the companys total accommodation by 22000 square feet to a total of 43000 square feet and will house a new 180 bench repair workshop customer care finance human resources administration logistics parts and a new training department.

Existing premises in Moxon Street Barnet will now be the processing sales and distribution base.

Intec was set up four years ago with 25 staff. It now has nearly 200 and is planning to double this within the next 12 months. It is now processing over 25000 handsets a month for most of the major UK mobile phone dealerships

Intec is projecting the processing of between 60000 to 80000 handsets a month within the 18 months said Intec founder Harry Ramis.

As the pre-pay phone market also continues to expand preparations for post-sales services by dealers is proving more crucial as disappointed new owners of handsets will naturally expect them to be repaired as quickly as possible.

The call was made at Siemens UK research and development centre Roke Manor Research.

CDMA is to be established as a worldwide standard for third generation phone also known as the IMT-2000 UMTS standard.

Roke Manor was originally set up in 1956 and is now owned by Siemens. It employs more than 300 engineers.

Siemens is currently working with NEC to develop UMTS predicts. The two organisations have set up a joint venture called Mobisphere to develop infrastructure and handsets for the next generation.

Siemens says that over the short term third-generation mobile phones will not replace all existing networks.

Instead the initial phase will be marked by a smooth transition from todays GSM networks to the new technology.

Siemens predicts that 3G networks will be first established in city centres with high subscriber numbers and usage density.

The existing GSM networks will continue to complement the mobile communications provision for a transitional period of five to seven years as far as coverage and voice services are concerned Siemens predicts.

Siemens and NEC are already supplying a UMTS system to Manx telecom which plans to launch early next year.

This follows the decision by the Isle of Man government to allow Manx Telecom to have a 3G licence for the island. Initial Manx 3G handsets will use NEC handsets that offer WAP and an image viewer with a two-inch display.

Thats the promise from an Intranet internet and wireless company company called RTS Networks which has invented out a way of combining mapping and routing software to work on any WAP-enabled mobile phone.

The Route WAP feature lets users pick an address through their WAP phone. The screen then displays turn-by-turn driving directions .

It is not a satellite navigation system and cannot show the users location.

But it can advise on the best route to take.

Route WAP is ideal for delivery of information and for workers that spend time travelling and visiting customer sites said RTS WAP consultant Brendan Yam.

Because Route WAP taps into a core business application Microsoft Outlook used by thousands of medium to large scale business the installation of this tool for use will require little customization.

RTS offers consultancy services and tailor-made WAP solutions for major clients such as Motorola Tesco Sony Nokia and even the United States National Guard.

This follows an agreement with Cambridge Silicon Radio to use the Cambridge BlueCore Bluetooth chip for use with cordless headsets and data transmissions between the phone and notebook and desktop PCs.

A low-cost small single chip solution is essential if Bluetooth is to be adapted an a mass scale said Alcatel marketing director Laurent

Guyot.

Bluetooth is the code-name for the technology that uses short-range radio links between mobile PCs mobile phones and other portable devices (see Alcatel story P34).

The new service uses SMS to flash members messages about how their bids are progressing.

Users will be sent messages throughout an online auction. The SMS will tell them if they have met the reserve price when they have been outbid and if they win. All without them having to log on using their PC.

This is the first step towards a true mobile auctioneer. For the first time members can track the status of their bids or hear about the latest auction bargains independent of their PCs said QXL.com chief executive Jim Rose.

QXL.com runs business and consumer auctions 24 hours a day in nine languages and currencies.

Iobox was launched two years ago in Finland and now has 500000 users who access its WAP and SMS content. Services include e-mail mobile chat instant messaging news weather and stock quotes.

Gaming machine management company Leisuredata will be beaming to WAP phones financial statistics about the performance of a pubs fruit machine or any other type of coin-operated game.

Leisure data provides a gaming machine management service over the internet to more than 10000 games machines.

The system monitors records and audits the takings of each machine in real time. So pub landlords will be able to use a WAP phone to know when to empty the machines and use the money as change.

The system can also send out an automatic e-mail or SMS to the pub landlord if a machine is tampered with or needs servicing.

The company says that on average a gaming or quiz machine can contribute up to 30 per cent of a pubs profits. The countrys 10000 pub game machines contribute overall 35 million a year to the pub sector.

Our network suppliers currently present collection data to us using the web But thanks to WAP technology they can now also send it instantly from any location through their mobile phone said Leisuredata managing director Brian Herrick.

By using the latest mobile internet and phone capability WAP will access vital information from the heart of each machine and put it directly into the hands of brewery or pub chain managers around the UK Pub managers can see the coins gong in and out of the gaming machines live via internet browsers and through their WAP phones he added.

Using the web they can now operate on a level playing field with the larger companies.

It claims it is the lightest slimmest WAP phone so far available. It is 15mm thick and comes in blue red and purple colours. The R230 will be available from next month.

The company said it had also reached agreement with Torch Telecom and Cable & Wireless Communications for the provision of residential telecommunications services.

The integrated fixed line and mobile service will also include competitive internet access.

Vodafone will provide the provision of the wireless services to consumers and expertise and technical assistance for billing systems facilities management and marketing to enable Centrica to offer the fully integrated telephone service.

Centrica has around three million electricity customers and more than a million people signed to its Goldfish credit card the company says it has an impressive track record in marketing new products and services to consumers.

Vodafones UK boss Peter Bamford said:

We are delighted to be working with Centrica. This is a powerful partnership combining our expertise with Centricas marketing skills and extensive customer base to deliver new consumer telecommunications services.

Centrica has said it expects to invest a total of 150 million in its telecommunications business by the end of 2002 of which 75 million will be spent this year.

It plans to launch the service in September and aims to attract one million customers by the end of next year.

The 22.4 billion they paid equates to around 400 per head of population. Before the auction started analysts were predicting the whole affair would cost a relatively paltry 5 billion in total.

The auction ended last Thursday after 150 rounds which attracted 13 bidders from around the world. The auction ended when NTL was the last to throw in the towel leaving just five players left for the five licences which last for 20 years.

Newcomer TIW (Telesystem International Wireless) paid 4.3 billion for Licence A.

TIW has announced it is to establish a joint venture with ex-Orange owner Hutchison Whampoa to set up a national UK UMTS network as a mobile virtual operator.

TIW will build the network and make its capacity available to another operator.

Vodafone bid an astonishing 5.96 billion for the prize Licence B. BT3G landed Licence C for 4.03 billion One 2 One won Licence D for 4 billion and Orange picked up Licence E also for 4 billion.

These means Vodafone is paying almost 2 billion more than its competitors. It has to find half the money now and has the option to pay the rest off over 10 years (with interest).

Vodafone intends to offer customers commercial service on its new 3G network in 2002.

Commented chief executive Chris Gent:.

We have secured the amount of spectrum that we need in order to deliver the highest capacity of any UK cellular operator and to maintain our market leadership by offering premium value added services to more customers than any other operator. The additional capacity will enable Vodafone Limited to play a full part in the new technology delivering customers a new generation of services including full internet video-conferencing and many other mobile multimedia services throughout the world.

Sir Peter Bonfield BTs chief executive said:

This was a high stakes game. We executed a well thought out and gutsy strategy which ended with us achieving the best value possible for BTs customers and shareholders. The only benefit of Licences A and B over Licences C D or E is that there may be some cost savings in building a network.

These savings are way below the premium Licence B attracted. Moreover it is unlikely there is any cost difference at all until several years after the launch of 3G by which time more spectrum may well be available. BTs main auction objective was to secure the best value licence available at a price that represented a good investment for its shareholderssaid Sir Peter.

In addition its strategy was to maximise its forward competitive position. BT believes that ensuring a large differential between Licence B and Licence C achieves this.

Commented Orange CEO Hans Snook:

It has been a hotly-contested auction at the end of which the prices paid have fulfilled our expectations.

The immediate winners are the Government and the successful bidders. The ultimate winners however will be customers and investors. We will be delivering a range of advanced multimedia which include: high speed internet access; e-commerce services such as interactive home shopping online booking and location-based information and entertainment services. In addition mobile videoconferencing and the ability to download movie clips the latest soundtracks and sports highlights will be available direct to the consumer all on the move.

At One 2 One strategic development director Craig Tillotson who was responsible for One 2 Ones strategy in the auction said:

This is an important development for both One 2 One and for T-Mobile International. The growth in advanced mobile multimedia services will be remarkable. The investment we are making in UMTS here in the UK will allow us to be at the forefront of developing what will become a global phenomenon.