This calls were made using prototype GPRS handsets from Mitsubishi and a Nortel Networks GPRS network

Nortel Networks has focused on developing a commercial grade GPRS system as rapidly as possible said Doug Lowther vice president (Wireless Data Solutions) at Nortel Networks.

Our GPRS offer uses open interfaces in compliance with the most recent GPRS standards and it will interoperate with a wide variety of mobile phones applications and infrastructure products.

GPRS can enable operators to offer full internet service provision capabilities supporting applications such as mobile e-commerce and secure mobile Virtual Private Networks. GPRS will be supported at speeds of up to 170 kilobits per second nearly 12 times faster than speeds typically available today.

Nortel Networks says it is working with more than 20 GSM and TDMA operators worldwide for early deployment

More than 100 Nortel Networks GPRS systems have already been shipped to customer sites and laboratories on four continents. Networks can try the system out without having to change any of their equipment.

The key to successfully deploying GPRS is network cost-effectiveness Lowther said.

Our overall plan is to drive down the cost of delivering wireless data from 37 cents a megabyte to four cents a megabyte by 2004.

Called Gold Dot the connection system is said to provide better electrical performance where space is limited. It is claimed to improve reliability without the need to redesign the phone.

The Gold Dot connection system consists of bump-shaped contacts built into the circuit material between the main circuit board and LCD display.

The benefits of Gold Dot technology fit very well in telecommunications applications and a number of cellular phone manufacturers have expressed interest in the system said Bill Jensen president of Packard Hughes Connect whose Delphi Automotive Systems subsidiary has developed the Gold Dot method.

Ericssons use of the technology marks the first time it has been used in manufacturing of a consumer product. It is usually used in high specification applications in the military and aerospace markets.

They are dealers Derek Davey (West Talk) and Dr. Jason Leighton (The Telephone Store) Alan Hadden (GSM Suppliers Association) Bill Meiran (Telecommunications Users Association) Francesca Cura (EMC) James Malcolm (Federation of Communication Services) Ian Volans (ex-Vodafone and One 2 One press officer) Jill Stevens (Experian) Michael Stocks or Robert Conway (GSM Association) Tom Wills-Sandford (Federation of Electronics Industries) Val Jervis (ex-Oftel) and Colin Tucker (ex-Orange chief operating officer).

The sold-out Awards take place at the Hilton on Park Lane on March 23 and will be hosted by top comedian Jim Davidson.

The closing date for entries is February 9. Deliver to Mobile News 134 Petherton Rd London N5 2RT.

Customers are issued with a personalised easy TopUp swipe card that contains their mobile number stored in it. They take the TopUp card to a retailer offering the E-TopUp service select the value they require credited to their account and pay.

The retailer swipes the easy TopUp card through the on-line counter terminal linked to the Vodafone network. Credit is automatically applied to the mobile phone account

The TopUp card is currently being trialled by 17500 customers using 18 Vodafone Retail stores in the Midlands.

The service will gradually be extended to all registered Pay As You Talk customers and eventually be available from all high street specialist and multiple retailers who already offer Vodafone Pay As You Talk scratch-cards. Vodafone also anticipates the service will further expand the distribution of locations where TopUps are available.

Retailers will never run out of E-TopUps customers will be able to buy top-ups when and where they want – potentially 24 hours a day said Paul Donovan commercial and marketing director of Vodafone UK.

Customers with access to the internet can use vodafone.net to top- up their mobile phone using their credit or debit card.

We anticipate that the service will become the preferred choice for our customers to credit their account.

We introduced the service just before Christmas. Customers found the service not only convenient but also time-saving added Donovan.

He will be based in San Francisco and will report to Arun Sarin chief executive of the US and Asia Pacific Region and head of the internet team.

Swedish operator Europolitan is 71 per cent owned by VodafoneAirTouch and has claimed a number of mobile data and internet world firsts such as short message services and introduction of the notification of e-mails to customers via SMS.

In September Europolitan said it was the first operator in the world to launch high speed circuit switched data (HSCSD) enabling faster transmission speeds than the conventional GSM technology.

Isaksson (45) has worked in the telecoms industry for the last 21 years. He spent 16 years at Ericsson where he held a number of positions.

VodafoneAirTouch chief executive Chris Gent said: Europolitan has become one of the most advanced companies in the field of mobile data and internet services. Tomas Isaksson will enable us to achieve our objective of becoming the worlds leading mobile multimedia operator .

The money is claimed by people calling a hotline 0800 phone number being promoted through a series of national press ads.

The size of the cash back varies with the phone selected and is dependent on a new connection to BTCellnet through an Ericsson A1018 T10 T18 or T28.

The money is credited to the credit card or debit card used to buy the new phone and the customer must return the old phone with its battery and charger.

1st Line says it is Britains leading post-pay phone connector.

It was recently criticised by BBCs Watchdog for questionable sales tactics .

The ad campaign follows an internal review of KJCs marketing strategy. Bath advertising agency The Idea Works has been instructed to create an integrated campaign aimed at increasing mobile phone sales through retail mail order and corporate channels.

The company has also produced a new corporate identity which has been carried over into the rebranding of stores.

Media used in the campaign is national and local press direct mail and local radio.

KJC started up 12 years ago. It has 30 shops in the South of England and plans to open another 30 this year.

Said KJCs marketing manager Tim Luff:

We appointed The Idea Works because they showed an understanding of our business objectives and provided a creative rationale that would accelerate KJCs quest for pole position within the independent retail sector.

Scottish chartered accountant Gunn replaces Huw Evans who will be leaving the company after a handover period. Gunn joined Cellcom when it was a start-up in 1985 Evans joined European Telecom after its first finance director Max Ashton left when the company floated.

Gunn had an earlier career with British Aluminium Company Vestric and Expamet International before joining Cape Industries.

These new features will dramatically improve the quality of calls in noise environments indoors and outdoors said Eircells chief executive Stephen Brewer.

Eircells is the first mobile phone operator (in Ireland) to introduce this technology said Brewer.

The latest enhancements follow Eircellss introduction of EFR (Enhanced Full Rate) voice enhancement technology last November.

The network says it handles five million calls a day.