The networks international roaming service has experienced a ten-fold increase in users over the past 18 months due it says to growing numbers of holidaymakers finding that using their mobile phone is easier and better value than a hotel phone.

Third generation UMTS handsets will make it possible for anyone anywhere in the world to surf the net send and receive video material watch TV hold video conference calls and now listen to Chris Evans over their bowl of Cornflakes.

Ginger Media and Ericsson believe that these new third-generation networks could also open up a completely new distribution channel for entertainment services such as radio programmes.

Commenting on the tie up Virgins Lee Roberts said: We can foresee a day when more people will listen to our output via a mobile phone terminal than through a broadcast radio receiver.

As a first step Virgin Radios output has been added to the range of services being trialled over the UMTS network set up by Ericsson in and around Guildford Surrey.

Prices range from 99.99 up to 199.99 and include the Bosch 909S which is exclusive to One 2 One. A 30 million pre-Christmas marketing campaign is planned. More 2 Say has been launched says the network in response to research they conducted which demonstrated that the target market were prepared to pay more for a sexier handset.

The launch was planned long before recent controversy over changes in subsidy for pre-pay products. A One 2 One spokesperson told Mobile News It is up to individual concerns to set their own selling price. We set a recommended retail price; its up to them what cut they take. We are maintaining the value of our product by not reducing it to the level of some of our competitors. This policy will continue into the future.

Added the spokesperson We have no plans to move towards gross pricing at present.

One 2 Ones standard Up 2 You packages range from the Siemens C11 at 69.99 to the Ericsson PF768 at 149.99.

The number of subscribers to cellular services world-wide increased from 295 million at end 1998 to over 350 million by June 1999 whilst evidence from Finland Sweden Germany and the UK suggests that the use of short message services has exploded in popularity; figures released by the GSM MoU indicate that 1 billion SMSs were sent in April 1999.

Accordingly Romtec believe that the wireless data revolution has begun and that we-commerce will be at the forefront of the new generation of non-voice applications.

The company concludes from recent research that wireless subscriber growth will continue to outstrip the internet due to the ease of subscription and the lack of need for a PC to access services.

There are at least 100 operational services or trials of we-commerce applications world-wide covering ticketing reservation systems banking share dealing and vending machines amongst many other applications.

Romtec believe that the technology will be in place for the mass market to begin to develop by 2000 and that by 2005 there will be 42.55 million subscribers world-wide to wireless e-commerce.

It also believes that Europes leading product and services manufacturers and vendors in Europe are completely unprepared for the revolution that is about to transform our methods of buying and selling.

Microsoft Yahoo and AOL are all establishing wireless trading ventures as are many of the leading cellular operators world-wide say Romtec who forecast that new ventures between Internet SPs and mobile operators will lead to a new generation of Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs).

Ongoing commissions have also been increased for high achieving dealers rewarding high levels of customer retention.

Comments RSL COMs sales director Matt Crabtree Rewards for mobile phone dealers are traditionally based on the number of connections sold rather than the on-going value of those connections. The importance of client retention is therefore often not reflected in dealer reward schemes.

Continues Crabtree The result is payment of high initial bonuses with only relatively modest ongoing rewards. We believe that the system needed re-thinking to better reflect the real value of different customers. RSL COM now intends to use the new commission plans to fuel the drive for better quality customers.

He joins the network from Motorola where he worked in the cellular industry since 1986.

In addition Precept 100 becomes Precept 120 Precept 300 becomes Precept 360 and Precept 600 becomes Precept 720.

One 2 One had objected to Oranges TV advertisement which claimed in an independent survey commissioned by Oftel on the performance of all four UK mobile networks … Orange came top as a voice-over stated bring your mobile number to the network that performs best.

Text read source: Oftel survey.

One 2 One and three viewers said that the claim was misleading as it was based only on a snapshot survey by Oftel which gave limited information but which was intended as an incentive to the mobile networks to publish more comprehensive data.

Oftel had in fact sent the information out with a disclaimer which warned that the results of its survey must be treated with some caution and that the results should not be seen as recommended best buys.

The ITC ruled:

Given these clear warnings in the Oftel Press Information that the snapshot survey only gave limited information about performance and in the light of the subsequent advice given to Orange by Oftel the ITC considered that Orange should not have used the Oftel data to make top performance claims.

The ITC judged that the advertisement was misleading and instructed that it should not be transmitted again.

Cellnet was criticised for its Onephone commercial which gave the misleading impression that a call could be answered on the Onephone in home mode and continued outside the home in mobile mode.

Viewers claimed this was not the case as the user would have to already be in mobile mode when answered away from the home base station.

The ITC agreed with the complainants that the advertisement gave the impression that a call could be answered in home mode and continued outside the home in mobile mode.

It concluded that the advertising had been misleading and required that it should not return to air in its current form.

The ICS was set up in 1997 as an independent body dedicated to raise skills of people involved in customer service.

Becoming a member demonstrates Vodafones commitment to providing the best possible customer service to its customers said Vodafone Central Services customer services director Karen Richardson.

The trials are taking place on street pay and display parking meters in Leeds.

Up to 50 can be loaded onto the card drawn from the cardholders bank account.

Vodafone is supplying the radio-pads built into the pay and display meters. These connect to the Vodafone Packet Radio Service and remotely monitor the meters and upload parking data each night for analysis.

Visa has been trialling Visa Cash in Leeds for almost two years. Around 60000 Visa Cashcards have been issued and customers can load their cards at 60 stand-alone machines situated in the City.

Over 1400 retail outlets in the Leeds area have been equipped with terminals which can accept Visa cash.

Motorola has already produced an e-commerce StarTAC phone which contains a cash card that can download cash credits to the card over a mobile phone network.