The requirement may drop to $10 billion when re-balancing of shares and cash is finalised. The 11 banks are Bank of America Barclays Banque Nationale de Paris Citibank Deutsche Bank Goldman Sachs HSBC ING Barings Nationale Australia Bank NatWest and WestLB.

The range announced at CeBIT consists of six products: Cosmo Mondo Galaxy Astral Geo and Aria. The main product Cosmo has been developed by a European design team following extensive research with consumers.

The range is being developed and made in Brittany France where Mitsubishis current research and manufacturing operations are situated.

The Brittany plant is expected to produce more than 800000 phones a month by the end of the year.

The Trium name comes from the Mitsubishi three-diamond logo and is said to symbolise style innovation and simplicity.

The first products will be available in June and be promoted with a Europe-wide marketing campaign.

The company says research into third-generation UMTS products is well under way.

We have been monitoring and developing third generation mobile communications technology for several years in Europe and Japan said Radi Kar vice president of technological strategy.

As third generation services are planned to start in Japan in early 2001 a year ahead of Europe we are already developing commercial models of third generation terminals.

We are also liaising with Mitsubishi sales teams and their dealers and operators to ensure Trium handsets include design requirements over and above basic specifications.

Orange and a member of the public had objected to One 2 Ones national press and magazine ads claiming it was the only network to offer Enhanced Full Rate for digitally enhanced sound.

Orange told the ASA it believed its network was the first to offer EFR and challenged the claim that the technology was only available on One 2 Ones new Precept service.

In its defence One 2 One said they had not seen an announcement of the launch of Oranges EFR service and said they had tried to check with Orange to ask if they offered EFR. Orange assured the ASA that its EFR service was operational in April last year and proved that many EFR calls had been made from April onwards.

The ASA concluded that One 2 One had not proved it was the first network to offer EFR and requested it to withdraw the claim.

Edmonds who has been based in the UK for the last 10 years set up and managed a cellular network in New Zealand.

He reports to Ora founder Malcolm Hanson who now becomes chairman. Hanson was last month brought back in to play an active role in Ora despite selling out for 20 million a year ago to the management buy-in team of Tim Helstrip and John Whittle.

Whittle is now managing director of Hugh Symons (Mobile News March 8) and Helstrip left Ora last month.

I was delighted to learn that Ken chose Ora from a number of options he had. I am confident he will bring a fresh new approach to the business and I look forward to working with him in the future on the continued success of Ora said Hanson.

Alcatel also launched the latest version of its One Touch Easy range in a lighter and slimmer format with dual-band capability. The Easy range now comes in a choice of nine colours.

Alcatel announced at CeBIT an alliance with 3Com Corporation to promote the convergence of handheld computing and mobile phones.

The two companies will work to define standard programming between devices.

A public forum will be open to all industry players to contribute. 3Com makes the popular Palm Computing range of pocket organisers which account for 72 per cent of all personal digital assistant type computers sold.

The unit will be promoted world-wide with a multi-million international ad campaign aimed at first-time buyers. Siemens has set global sales targets of 750000 a month for the C25.

The ( 9.99 with contract and 130 on pre-pay) handset will be the main weapon in Siemens plan to open up new markets especially for consumers in the 16-34 age group.

To appeal to this sector Siemens gimmick is to pre-program the C25 with ring tones mixed by some of Europes up and coming DJs.

It is also expected to come complete with a ticket hotline to the coolest clubs says Siemens and other groovy spots in wherever you find yourself partying for the weekend.

The phone supports the SIM Application Toolkit and can thus be modified to support network information services such as bank balances share prices travel and weather information.

Standby times of up to 100 hours and talk time of up to 300 minutes is being claimed.

McLuskie left 20:20 last year saying he needed time off for rest and recuperation.

McLuskie will work alongside TCL sales and marketing director Rob Musk.

John brings with him a wealth of experience in the mobile communications business. His move is an important landmark for TCL as we develop the company into a major retail/airtime and IT organisation said TCL joint founder Tony Lane.

TCL (Telephone Communications Limited) was set up in 1985 and now operates around 50 shops under its Talkpoint retail brand and currently has a turnover of around 5 million. It describes itself as one of Cellnets largest independent retailers.

The move is part of a new management structure for the UK business which will form one of three VodafoneAirTouch operating divisions later this year.

All Vodafone service provider company managing directors will report to VodafoneAirTouchs UK chief executive Peter Bamford who steps into the role to be vacated by David Channing-Williams who is retiring.

Heads of Vodafone Value Added Services and the paging and data operations report to Alan Harper managing director of Vodafone network.

Our aim is to establish a more integrated organisation which will deliver the best possible service at the lowest cost said Chris Gent chief executive designate of VodafoneAirTouch.

The police and FCS men searched the premises of World Tech Solutions Ltd of 42 Watford Way Hendon and the homes of proprietors Moses Oyediwura and Eric Josep. Both men were arrested and have been bailed to reappear at Colindale Police station.

The company suffered a set back on April 9 when the planning officer for West Berkshire District Council recommended that the politicians should refuse the application.

However at a meeting held on April 17 the Council held a seven-hour debate and then voted by a majority of 25 to 18 to grant Vodafone planning permission to build on the Old Showground.

The application must still be submitted to the Government office of the South East. It will either be rubber stamped or a public enquiry will be held. The former is though unlikely as there has been much debate in Newbury about the application over the last 18 months.

Vodafones first task is to plant 25000 trees prior to the works beginning later this summer for scheduled completion in two years.

The new offices will house the entire 3000-strong VodafoneAirTouch team.