The network has worked with content provider Trigenix to create Screen Styles a new bundle that gives users a wallpaper of their choice a polyphonic ringtone a themed menu page and links to additional content.

In addition a substantial part of the T-Zone portal appears offline so users can explore the services without having to pay.

Initially the bundle is available to owners of Nokia 7650s and 3650s but it will be expand to cover Nokia 6600s and Siemens SX-1s before Christmas.

Users can buy the offering through the

T-Zone portals on their handsets or through the T-Mobile website.

The network will send out text messages notifying existing users of the service. There will also be a Europe-wide magazine and newspaper advertising campaign.

There are more than 100 Screen Style themes on offer covering sport music and film.

T-Mobile senior manager consumer product marketing and products Dave

Woollands said:

Personalisation is a key part of our data services strategy. Through the success of TZones we have seen that people want to personalise their mobiles. Screen Styles builds upon that. As well as earning revenue from the initial cost of the bundle we expect to see users data ARPU increase.

Kondor has an exclusive deal to distribute Body Glove to The Carphone Warehouse The Link Phones 4U Argos Woolworths and 3.

Our products have achieved high visibility in the retail channels resulting in Body Glove gaining market share said Body Glove head of sales Malcolm Stapelton.

The news follows the successful launch of the networks video-clip download service earlier this month.

Mobile Music allows customers to download entire songs on to their mobiles and listen to them as they download.

To use the service customers must buy a small device that plugs into their handset and stores the music. Depending on the memory capacity of the users handset songs can then be transferred to their mobile.

Songs are projected to cost 1.50 a download – roughly the price of a ringtone.

The Mobile Music concept was first unveiled by the network at CeBit in Hanover in March. The launch of Mobile Music is in keeping with O2s drive to have 25 per cent of its ARPU coming from data by the end of 2005. At present the network has the highest data ARPU of all the networks making up 18 per cent of total ARPU.

Income before taxes was e39 million with net income of e62 million. This is an improvement of e155 million on the year before.

We are encouraged by the improvements achieved during the third quarter and particularly with the high demand for our PDC phones in Japan and the continued success of the T610 series in GSM markets said Sony Ericsson president Katsumi Ihara.

Sony Ericsson sales have also been boosted by a series of product launches including the joint ventures first GSM clamshell phones – the Z600 and Z200.

We have received very positive feedback from our cusomers about these new products said Ihara.

However Ihara warned that it would be difficult for Sony Ericsson to keep up its level of profitability because of the prevalence of lower-priced models.

Prices vary depending on location with the 25 selected countries split by geography into seven groups.

These are: the Republic of Ireland Europe Australia and New Zealand the US and Canada Middle East and Africa Asia and Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean.

All calls cost a flat rate within each group of countries and making calls is more expensive than receiving them. Text messages abroad cost 35p regardless of geographical area to send. Receiving texts is free.

The service is being rolled out gradually across the 25 countries.

Call costs vary from 65p a minute in the Republic of Ireland to 1.70 for Latin America. Calls made while in mainland Europe cost 95p a minute. Receiving calls in Ireland costs 40p a minute while in Europe they cost 60p. Calls received in Latin America cost 80p.

Mistakes in Hutchison 3Gs planning application and appeal meanst the mast may now be dismantled.

A Waterlooville resident a Mrs Philips sued the secretary of state citing procedural unfairness in Hutchison 3Gs planning application and subsequent appeal.

Hutchison originally applied to Havant Borough Council to build the mast in Hambledon Road Waterlooville a year ago.

The Council rejected the application following objections by residents who complained it would be an eyesore and possibly dangerous to health. Hutchison 3G then appealed and won..

But the resident claimed Hutchison 3G had changed the masts specification which meant it could be installed in a wider area.

The resident said she was denied the opportunity of recommending alternative sites because the designated area had been extended without her knowledge. She also complained late notification of Hutchisons appeal gave her no time to respond.

Hutchison 3G first said the mast had to be built within a 200-metre radius of a spot to ensure proper coverage.

But its appeal documents said that the mast could actually be in a 400-metre area. There were also mistakes in the drawings which if correct showed the mast could have been sited within an 800-metre area.

The Court agreed with Mrs Phillips case and overturned Hutchisons appeal.

A 3 spokesperson declined to discuss the contents of the original application but said:

3 always engages fully in the planning process and did so in this case.

We will review the position with regard to this site following the high court decision.

The network was also said to have told dealers that it would stop working with whichever company leaked the document.

Last week Mobile News reported how only 10 out of the 32 handsets listed on contract in Oranges stock update for October were available.

Within days of the publication appearing the network had cancelled the updates forcing dealers to make daily calls to the network to find out which handsets are available.

The network has been telling dealers that the situation is nearly resolved but Mobile News understands a large number of popular handsets are still only available on allocation.

Orange refused to comment at the time Mobile News was going to press.

Initially new appointees will work in existing stores during the Christmas period but will then be retained in preparation for the New Years expansion.

UK retail managing director Jonathan Hook said: We are expanding aggressively and to sustain that growth we must have the necessary number of employees.

The Carphone Warehouse is the UKs largest mobile retailer with just under 500 stores. A further 70 stores will mean it has over 200 stores more than closest rival Phones4U.

The company has also made some new appointments. Ed Bembridge has been appointed retail sales directo for the UK. Bembridge joined the company in 1992 and has worked his way up the ranks from sales consultant.

James Collins has been appointed direct and customer contact director. Collins who has been with the company for eight years will be responsible for all customer contact that comes into the companys customer support centre.

Former company area managers Phil Keeling and Carl Doogan have been promoted to divisional retail managers for the Midlands and North Division respectively

From December 1 it will be illegal to hold a mobile phone while driving. The phone must be fixed to a holder on the dashboard or otherwise securely fixed and talking must be handsfree.

The RAC estimates that as many as a third of all motorists may break the law – unwittingly or not.

RACs research shows a fifth of the motorists who were aware of the change in the law were wrong in their knowledge of what the new law would involve.

Some thought that using a hand-held mobile would still be legal. Others believed that cradling the phone between shoulder and ear would be legal.

Some believed using an ear-piece and wire attached to the phone would be acceptable. In fact none of these will be allowed.

Fourteen per cent of motorists thought that an outright ban of mobile phone use behind the wheel was due to be introduced.

Twenty per cent said that the change in the law would stop them using their phone entirely.

Five per cent said they would continue to use their mobile phone illegally risking a fixed penalty of 30 or a fine on conviction of up to 1000 for hardcore offenders.

Sixteen per cent intended to buy an earpiece and wire device not realising that this will also be illegal as they would need to handle the phone in the car to operate it.

Sixty-two per cent were planning to invest in a Bluetooth kit or a cradle-mounted handsfree kit.

Our research suggests that further explicit guidance is required to ensure that motorists know what they will face when the law changes in December commented RAC spokesperson Rebecca Bell.

Its estimated that 500000 motorists are on the phone in their cars at any one time. As many as a third will deliberately or inadvertently continue to break the law when the use of handheld phones is prohibited (see White Lines P48).

Meanwhile phone kit installer Toad Group said it installed 10 times as many handsfree kits than usual last summer in the run-up to the December 1 deadline.

The fleet industry has always put drivers first when it comes to safety said Toad director of sales and technical services Paul Hughes.

The rush to beat the legal deadline shows that companies are bringing forward planned installations. Company car drivers need to be contactable and the use of plug-in earpieces is no longer a satisfactory measure especially when a high-quality low-cost solution can so easily facilitate urgent messages that just cannot wait.

The two shareholders were set for an embarrassing High Court appearance following KPNs refusal to contribute a 150 million shareholder loan to help fund the operation.

A last-minute settlement has avoided this with KPN Mobile receiving 60 million now and 30 million over the next three years.

KPN argued that the March 2003 request was purely voluntary and that it was under no legal obligation under the shareholder agreement with Hutchison Whampoa to contribute.

KPN issued a statement in September 2002 announcing it would make no further investments in Hutchison 3G unless required to do so by the shareholder agreement.

Both companies said they were happy to put the dispute behind them.