There are currently 99 Phones 4U shops in the UK. The expansion will create about 1000 new jobs.

New Zealander Edmonds joined Ora about two years ago from Nortel.

Said Hanson:

Under Ken Oracompleted a year of significant growth and development in which it has won some major contracts moved to larger premises improved its systems and completed the financial year with above target sales and profits. We remain very grateful for

Kens leadership during this period of change.

Edmonds departure came shortly after head of sales John McLuskie resigned after three months in the job (Mobile News May 3).

Some industry sources suggested that this was because of a personality clash between McLuskie and

Edmonds.

John left to go to an internet start-up. When we employed John that was in the background of his mind anyway. It was unfortunate timing said Hanson.

Over the last year there has been a 4m turnaround on profits. Weve been focussing on the industry and customers and listening a lot more.

The giant motor company has set up a new division called Onstar and hired former Orange head of strategy Lance Stevens as its marketing director.

The company which is due to launch next year is currently talking to at least two mobile phone networks about providing the infrastructure but the end user offer will carry GMs Onstar branding.

The GM mobile phone network will be one aspect of the Onstar proposition which will also offer internet mobility services accessible from a range of devices.

The move is seen as a logical extension of General Motors existing Onstar in-car communications service introduced six years ago in the USA and more recently in Germany.

An industry source told Mobile News:

GM is creating a service-based company for which a cellular network is just one part. Others are things like the internet. GM is currently in negotiations with at least two mobile phone networks to provide the infrastructure.

We expect the end user offering will carry just GM branding. It is also their intention to work with independent mobile dealers.

It will be a separate service which happens to be owned by General Motors.

This month the first 52 of the 270 Tandy stores will convert to this new type of outlet. The converted stores will focus on communications including mobile phones cellular accessories and personal organisers and connectivity including Digital TVs PCs DECT telephones and Internet access.

As technologies become more complex and interconnected these benefits will become increasingly important and no one is better positioned to capitalise on customer demand for specialist service than The Carphone Warehouse. We are confident that our approach will bring a radical change to how customers understand choose and buy hi tech products said The Carphone Warehouse managing director Charles Dunstone.

Also last week The Carphone Warehouse Group announced it is acquiring 46 FNAC Telecom stores in France. This will result in the company taking the number one position in the French market operating 105 stores. The FNAC Telecom is part of the FNAC Retail Group and was founded in 1997.

The acquisition will ensure that The Carphone Warehouse will meet its goal of becoming the number one independent communications retailer across Europe by 2001 said Carphone Warehouse chief operating officer David Ross.

Our approach of offering simple independent and impartial advice has been well received in Europe particularly in France.

The Carphone Warehouse and FNAC Group have created a combined buying agreement which will see them becoming a leading distributor of mobile communications across Europe initially in France Spain and Belgium.

A statement from RSL COM said he had decided to leave RSL to pursue other interests. But trade sources suggest Schweidler was forced to resign as part of a realignment of several European subsidiaries.

The new man in charge is another RSL COM man Barry Mowbray.

Schweidler became the Managing Director of RSL COM Telco UK following the acquisition of Motorola Telco by the American-based fixed line operator in August 1998.

RSL COM claims its customer base has grown to over 210000 making it the largest independent service provider in the UK.

Called Simplicity the plan involves customers paying the real price for the handset (eg 80 for a Panasonic G520) but with cheaper calls than either pre-pay or normal 12-month contract rates. Connections are to Cellnet. The only requirement is that they pay by direct debit.

Simplicity 3 gives 25 a calls at a monthly cost of 25. Simplicity 2 matches the Vodafone pre-pay service charge of 5 for 30 days.

Following network branding and their tariffs does not represent a way forward for independent service providers said Cellcom chief executive Paul Cohen.

We have always offered better tariffs than the standard network offerings Now we have moved further by aligning our tariffs with the prepay concept of only paying for the calls you want to use.

Pre-pay represents (Cont P2) more than 80 per cent of the market. The phone subsidies involved are relatively small compared to the substantial per unit subsidies on contract.

Why perpetuate a difference in product prices which only confuses customers? Why not offer lower prices on airtime no fixed agreement and no special introductory offers that last a year and which lead to churn after that?

We all know pre-pay provides the best solution for those who find it impossible to pass a credit check. But what of people attracted by freedom?

They may have a bank account and pay all their other bills by direct debit and may want to use a mobile phone to make calls on. They may find that high call costs and constantly topping up their phone is not at all convenient said Cohen.

The fraud involves soldering a rogue chip on to the main circuit board of the Diga and programming it with software obtainable over the Internet.

The chip records the amount of allocated call credit and deducts it from the allowed call total. But switching the handset off and back on restores the credit to the original amount.

A statement from BTCellnet said:

BT and BTCellnet have the problem under control both through technical fixes and through active investigation and prosecution work in conjunction with the police.

The fraud has no impact on BTCellnet customers and no genuine customer will suffer loss. BTCellnet is identifying and cutting off phones being used illegally.

The handsets at risk of being doctored are no longer on sale to our channels and are no longer being manufactured for us. BTCellnet is arresting and will prosecute suppliers. The fraud requires specialist equipment both hardware and software and a substantial degree of technical expertise. See Full Story

Davidson currently presents the famous BBC Generation Game every Saturday night and is the latest in a line of famous entertainers who have presented the event.

They are Rory Bremner (1995) Lily Savage (1996) Bob Monkhouse (1997) and Ruby Wax (1998) and Paul Daniels (1999). Tables for the Mobile News Awards 2000 cost 1950 (plus VAT). However an early-payment discount of 100 is available up to November 30.