Pay As You Go customers get 10 per cent extra airtime for any call time credited up to January 31.

In another development One 2 One is to spend 100 million building a network in Northern Ireland to be in place by the middle of the year.

The network has signed an agreement with infrastructure builder Crown Castle to handle cell planning acquisition design build operation and maintenance for the whole network.

The agreement is for 11 years.

Crown Castle already operates 100 sites in Northern Ireland which will provide the backbone for the new network and reduce the need for building new sites

This ground-breaking agreement is another example of our innovative approach to network rollout. By using Crown Castles expertise we will have a high quality network in place within a year said One 2 Ones managing director Tim Samples.

Other co-sponsors are The Times. and Citibank Private Bank.

The awards have been in the USA and several European countries for many years and came to the UK for the first time last year when it was won by Mark Dixon founder of the Regus business centre empire which was set up 10 years ago.

They are open to owner-managers whose business have been established for at least two years.

The entrepreneurial spirit shown in these awards clearly matches Vodafones can-do attitude. There is a good cultural fit between the Awards and Vodafone and we look forward to finding the best entrepreneurs in the UK said Vodafones commercial and marketing director Paul Donovan.

Orange will use the software to produce credit and fraud score-cards to identify customers who may not pay their bill. The system looks at sets of known variables and identifies the relationship between the variables to predict possible outcomes.

It is also used by banks mortgage lenders credit card companies retailers and other credit providers.

Decider will enable us to develop credit and fraud scorecards cost-effectively and quickly. These could help our business run more efficiently said Orange credit risk manager Phil Watson.

Neural Technologies CEO Nick Ryman-Tubb said:

Our technology can help companies unlock the potential of the information they hold on customers.

The month long campaign will run across prime sites to include both underground and ad shells. The six-sheet illuminated advertisement has been designed to draw attention to the handsets blue display. The campaign is also being supported with press advertising across in-flight consumer style and magazines

Our existing investors have stepped forward to provide for ongoing operations while we continue to have discussions with potential new investors CEO John Richardson said.

Discussions with a number of parties have been held since Iridium filed on August 13 1999 for relief under Chapter 11. However no investment offers have been made.

The company is in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganisation during which time 50000 customers have purchased Iridium phones.

The loyalty of our customers despite the financial challenges we face and the interest Iridium continues to attract from new customers is encouraging.

Sales will be supported with Iridiums best efforts to provide a contingency communications alternative said vice president for sales and distribution Sue Kennedy.

Motorola has started shipping a smaller Satellite Series 9505 portable phone.

Iridium also announced that senior vice president of engineering systems Randall Brouckman has been promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer.

BtCellnet says it wants to bring the supply of all accessories under a single managed contract comprising of original equipment handset manufacturers third party manufacturers and Ora-made accessories.

Under the terms of the contract Ora will provide a call centre and fulfilment services. packaging design warehousing and logistics as well as product training for BtCellnet call centre staff.

We appreciate the opportunity to be much more than simply an accessories clearance house and welcome the full supply partnership that BtCellnet expects said Ora managing director Ken Edmonds.

BtCellnet hardware supply manager Richard Watson commented:

We are looking to develop a long-term partnership with Ora to help us with our various customer acquisition and retention programmes. We expect Ora to provide the right accessories and the right time and the right price. There are also a number of new revenue streams that we intend to investigate and develop together.

We look forward to a long-lasting and mutually-rewarding partnership.

Ora recently moved to a new 60000 sq.ft head office a short distance from its old 30000 sq.ft site in Aylesbury.

The two companies will exploit the technology available using the Vodafone Interactive service text messaging WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) enabled handsets which incorporate internet browser technology and when available the 3G (3rd Generation) mobile networks.

Vodafone envisages that in the future more people will be watching the news via their mobile phone than at home in front of their TV set explained Alan Harper managing director of Vodafone UK.

Vodafones agreement with the BBC marks the first step on the road of true mobile and multimedia convergence.

Our aim is to redefine the wireless future to further open up the endless services available to customers via their mobile phone using Vodafone Interactive WAP and eventually 3G and this agreement with the BBC is just one of the many services that our customers can look forward to.

Tony Hall Chief Executive of BBC News said:

We want to make our journalism available to people where ever they are and whenever they want it. This landmark deal with the biggest mobile phone operator will help achieve our strategic aim of becoming the leading provider of news in this exciting new market.

From early 2000 mobile customers using a digital Vodafone or WAP enabled handset will have content from the most extensive news service on the net BBC ONline.

Using the Vodafone Interactive service and the customers Personal Preference Page at vodafone.net they will be able to choose to receive the top breaking international and domestic news about business sport entertainment science health and education issues direct to their mobile as text messages.

The service will be extended during next year enabling customers to receive highly personalised news services pre-picking their schedule dependent on their interests or even concentrating on a particular news story as it unfolds. WAP capability on mobile handsets will also allow customers to see supporting graphics with text stories and hear audio reports. In the future customers will also be able to watch video clips by connecting their phone to a palm top computer.

PAYT is now sold through 400 Sainsburys stores. The two organisations have been dealing with each other since September 1998.

The award was given for point-of-sale supply chain management delivery times service and incremental business delivered to Sansburys by card sales.

AFPs WAP-based mobile news services will include the latest general news sports news and financial news in English Spanish French German and Portuguese. Stories are updated throughout the day seven days a week. The service is independent of phone and server manufacturer.

AFP is one of the three worldwide news agencies with 1200 reporters 200 photographers and 2000 stringers working in 165 countries. It is recognised as the premier supplier of information in Asia Europe the Middle East and Africa with services in English French German Spanish Portuguese and Arabic. AFP provides multimedia news services to more than 150 web sites in 20 countries. ImageForum

The licence allows EuroCommerce to distribute PNC Tele.nets internet telephony products to Ireland.

Current internet usage in Ireland is estimated at 460000 people with a new user coming on line every three and a half minutes.

Ireland has high penetration levels of internet-aware coroprate and consumer customers. The distribution of our internet telephony product range in Ireland is a natural addition to our operations here in the United Kingdom said PNC Tele.com chief executive Geremy Thomas.

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