WAP phones such as the new Nokia 7110 will offer customers text-based web pages and a range of information services including sports listings TV theatre gigs travel entertainment business and banking on their handset in a clearly and easily-presented format through simple web-type on-screen menus.

Orange will provide a range of media and commerce services in partnership with ITN to take news headlines and stories directly from ITNs sources.

This includes Euronews the pan-European news channel from ITN which will display news stories in French Italian German Spanish and English. Reuters will also provide a news service.

Also Orange will soon begin trials of a banking service with a high street bank which allows customers to see the transfer of funds across accounts check payments and see balance updates directly on the screen of the phone.

The service will be launched next year.

For entertainment information Orange will take data from Associated News Media for a service which includes a restaurant review guide together with cinema and theatre listings and news from their website. Another service from Event Selector (PA) will provide television listings for terrestrial satellite and digital television channels from its entertainment guide.

An integrated travel information service will enable customers to access traffic reports as well as information on rail and tube travel and plan routes for display on the phones screen.

This service is the result of an arrangement between Orange and ITIS (Integrated Traffic Information Service) for travelling services. Orange will show a service that provides train timetable details based on information from the internet.

Orange has plans to support on-line booking using WAP technology so that limited time offers such as flights can be purchased while available.

Mobile Phone Centre is offering customers the chance to win a pair of tickets to an England Rugby match British Touring Car race England Cricket match or the Vodafone Derby at Epsom next year.

RSL COM has been appointed by Dolphin Telecommunications as a service provider for Dolphins ExpressNet digital radio service which is targeted at local government construction transport manufacturing utility and distribution companies.

Irish network operator Esat Digifone has given Siemens a 30 million contract to expand its network to provide enhanced services. The contract covers the supply of equipment and services and follows a previous contract given to Siemens in 1996.

The number of people using cell phones for social reasons increased by 33 per cent to more than a third in the past year says Motorola.

Around 34 per cent of people questioned for the report use their phone for non-business use.

The number of people using public pay phones has now dropped from 73 per cent last year to 63 per cent this year Motorolas report says.

Hotel are also counting the cost of the increased proliferation of mobile phones as 16 per cent less people now make calls from their hotel room phone than did a year ago.

Around 40 per cent of owners interviewed by MORI for the report had bought their phone within the last 12 months. At least 41 per cent of them expected to upgrade their handset at some point in the future with 35 per cent saying they would change phones within two years.

Most of those interviewed said personal safety was high on the list of reasons for owning a mobile phone.

At least half of them said their cell phone had helped them stay ahead in their business life.

The research for the report took place in April and May. It involved a series of focus groups held around the country as well as 1037 confidential interviews with adults.

As well as mobile phone use the Motorola report also looks at usage of PCs digital TV and the internet usage.

The store is within the Northern Electric store at Teeside Park and will be Mobile Phone Stores 84th outlet since 1993.

The company already has two other concessions within Northern Electric and plans to open concessions with 14 more Northern Electric shops. Another 60 stores are to be opened during the Mobile Phone Stores next financial year.

The computer called the ToughBook 27 is currently being tested within the Vodafone Manufacturers Accreditation Programme which is supported by more than 40 phone and computer manufacturers.

Panasonic is the first PC vendor to had adopted Vodafones end-to-end managed wireless philosophy said Tony Riley sales and marketing director for Vodafones mobile data and messaging products.

Corporates are insisting on service agreements guaranteeing levels of networks service and providing GSM products of outstanding quality and reliability is the only way forward.

Panasonic PC marketing manager Richard Walters added:

We are committed to delivering the highest quality data solution for our customers. We expect the network to be able to perform to guaranteed levels of service.

The match between Arsenal and Manchester United raises funds for charities involved with football.

One 2 One has nominated the English Federation of Disability Sport to receive funds from this years game.

Last year Arsenal beat ManU by three goals to nil.

Cable & Wireless will provide fixed network services including a virtual private network call management and managed PBX services.

Vodafone will provide the mobile voice services covering 3000 handsets and apply the technical hook-up to allow these to become desktop extension phones.

The three-year contract will integrate three Scottish & Newcastle business units and connect the groups entire user base across the UK.

The organisation has been modernising its private network system too and until now has never combined its fixed and mobile services.

This project will not only provide sophisticated telecoms solutions for Scottish and Newcastle but will also give them flexibility to employ on-site single phone services and interchange their usage of fixed and mobile services said Vodafone Corporate managing director Jeremy Forward.

Vodafone and C&W announced last April their teaming agreement to together offer corporate customers fixed and mobile services.

The period of grace which expires on August 15 buys Iridium time to continue talks with creditors and investors about restructuring debt in the face of a massive shortfall in targeted revenues and subscriber signings.

It takes time to reach consencus among the players in any restructuring effort said Iridium chief executive officer John Richardson.

The grace period allowed along with the extension of our bank facility gives us time to concentrate on reaching a suitable arrangement for the on-going commercial operation of this company.

Iridium is in the process of negotiating with Motorola other strategic investors representatives of its high yield bondholders and its bank creditors to develop a mutually acceptable plan to restructure the capitalization of the company.

Iridiums new strategy includes airtime price reductions of up to 65 per cent rate for international calls.