Staff Reporter

NEC confirmed a shortage of its P3 phone … Isto Pankakoski became MD of Nokia Mobile Phones.

Virgin Atlantic marketing chief Chris Moss joined Hutchison to work on the launch of Orange … thieves stole 25000 worth of phones from Astec …

West Midlands police said theft of phones had been cut by 50 per cent in the last 12 months … Cellnet business director Martin Stiven joined BT Mobile … a Lancashire entrepreneur tried to charge users 18 a year to Join the Organisation of Mobile Phone Users …

Calibar Connections employee

Kamaljit Bains was freed after a jury failed to agree whether or not she had been guilty of conspiring to re-chip stolen phones (her co-defendant boyfriend had done the gallant thing and skipped the country) … Cellnet announced it would be investing 3 million to brand itself at the Rugby World Cup … retired Vodafone chief executive Gerry Whent collected a knighthood from Buckingham Palace … Orange said it would roll out its network to 90 per cent coverage …

WaveTech became a service provider for Orange … Jan Peters became managing director of One 2 One … Amstrad said it would invest 5 million into Dancall … Vodafone launched its 15 million ad campaign starring Hollywood actor Kyle Twin Peaks McLachlan …

JWE was hit by ram-raiders who smashed through a steel barrier to steal 12000 worth of phones … Martin Dawes Telecommunications took over Cellphones Direct … European Telecom launched its own accessories company TAG after an unsuccessful attempt to buy ORA Electronics … Motorola produced a cheaper version of the StarTAC (the StarTAC 70) …

The Federation of Communications Services Crime Prevention Inspectorate (CPI) was in danger of being shut down through lack of network funding … Brightpoints UK general manager Mark Mitchinson resigned to pursue other business interests… Vodafone won its 18-month battle to build a new international headquarters outside Newbury…

I saw lots of C12s being sold at car boot sales and thought there must be a market for people to use them on Vodafone. This does not allow free calls. It only unlocks the phone from BTCellnet. He claimed he had had around 300 hits to the website for two weeks but not all of these translated into sales.

Digifone has already invested 20 million in mobile data services to date. Digifone plans to have the product commercially available by the end of the year.

Esat has rejected the HSCSD system embraced by Orange calling it a technological cul-de-sac becoming redundant within months of being introduced.

This is Digifones most significant single investment in data technology to date and builds on our extremely effective data strategy Esat Digifone CEO Barry Maloney said.

The 94-strong chains 1 million cinema screen ad debut kicked off at Easter with a commercial showing people being offered bad advice or making wrong decisions.

The commercial uses the strap line We Help You Decide. This slogan will feature on all printed material and promotional literature.

Advertising on the big screen is a first not just for MPC but for the mobile phone retail sector said MPC head of marketing Mark Bond.

Its the perfect way to target our key customers. Cinema audiences are naturally attentive.

So the new advertising campaign allows us to communicate our key messages.

The cinema ad will be backed up by a regional press and radio campaign.

The commercial is directed by Steve Lowe who has also directed commercials for Kodak Toyota Barclays and Sega.