The first machines will be installed within the next few weeks with a rolling launch from the summer.

We knew from our research that we had a winning idea said Fone Range marketing director Mickey Priman. At CeBIT we had customers from the UK and all over Europe insisting on placing orders there and then even though we werent ready to go into production.

People with mobile phones are frequently on the move. Often they need a battery or charger there and then when they are travelling and when there isnt a store within miles.

This is a completely new concept which will put more access into accessories. It amazes me that no-one else came up with it before we did said Priman.

The FEI describes itself as the voice of UK electronics tasked with raising awareness of the electronics industrys importance.

Brown says one of his first tasks will be to address the skills shortage.

Because of the rate of growth in the electronics sector we are very sensitive to the skills shortage. This needs to be tackled at its roots by persuading todays youth to be part of a dynamic and fun industry.

With a turnover of 70 billion we contribute over eight per cent of Gross Domestic Product and employ around a million people. As president of the FEI I am committed to creating a unified voice for the industry that welcomes its diversity and is thoughtful and coherent Brown said in his inaugural speech at the FEIs annual general meeting.

This is an industry so diverse there is no part of our society which it does not touch.

We have a great deal of work to do to improve our marketing distribution and sales activities all over the world said Iridiums interim chief executive John Richardson.

We have identified major causes for the poor sales performance and are initiating aggressive actions in response acting with our regional gateway partners our equipment suppliers and the service providers and roaming partners they have enlisted.

Part of the new measures to boost numbers include tailoring the service to better fit market niches hastening the introduction of new services and revising its product and service prices.

Iridiums efforts to recruit subscribers suffered set backs from lack of handsets and accessories and delays by the distribution network to properly train and equip enough sales people.

The handset supply situation from Kyocera and Motorola is still only adequate says Iridium.

Iridiums global satellite phone and paging service became operational last November when the network of 66 low-earth orbit satellites went live. But the organisation has been plagued by equipment supply and distribution problems. Its chief financial officer Roy Grant quit last month (Mobile News April 6) and the organisation has had to ask its lending banks to reschedule debt payments.

The phones are being used by relief workers and by refugees to place calls to family and friends. Airtime is being provided by Iridium Italia and Iridium Communications Germany.

The chance to make a phone call is nearly as important to them as food and shelter. We are anxious to provide them with that capability vie the Iridium satellite system said Iridium Italia chief executive Guiseppe Morganti.

They include five 10 and 15 free SMS messages a month. Free Sony Walkmans are being given to customers connecting to anyone of the three price bands.

Sony is also trying to tempt corporate users to its Sony Talk Business First tariff by offering monthly discounts on national and local calls up between three per cent and 27 per cent depending on the value of calls made.

Itemised billing is replaced by Highlight Plus. For 2 a month customers get a detailed call listing and five per cent off calls to their five most often-used numbers.

All three are now officially Third Generation mobile operator members of the GSM Association. They are: Sonera Ltd OY Radiolinja Ab and Telia Ab Branch of Finland.

We are delighted to welcome the first 3G licenced mobile operators to the Association said Richard Midgett outgoing chairman of the GSM Association.

This decision has widespread implications the main one being that the GSM Association is leading the way forward toward a future vision of Third Generation systems and services based on the continued evolution of the GSM platform.

It is highly appropriate that this agreement was reached in Helsinki as it is another world first for Finland. This is the country where the very first GSM network was launched and that today has the highest level of internet and mobile market penetration anywhere in the world. It is also now the first country to award Third Generation licences Midgett added.

The GSM Association has 347 members from networks regulators and administrative bodies in 133 countries.

Cellnet last month notched up its millionth pre-pay user after being last to market with a pre-pay offering.

Although Vodafone originally launched pre-pay in November 1987 it did not really take off until a year ago when it was relaunched as a more simplified offering and sold through non-specialist High Street outlets.

Vodafone has added a new premium handset to its Pay As You Talk boxes with the voice-activated Samsung which will be supplied with personal hands free kit. The phone joins the other eight Pay As You Talk handsets.

Vodafone has revolutionised the consumer market for mobile phones with Pay As You Talk. We are delighted to have achieved this major milestone (of two million customers) said Alan Harper managing director of Vodafone Limited.

The facility comes in three parts: a $4 billion revolving loan facility a one year $3 billion term loan and a revolving five-year $3.5 billion loan.

The banks involved are Bank of America Banque Nationale de Paris HSBC Barclays Capital Citibank Deutsche Bank Goldman Sachs Greenwich Natwest ING Barings National Australia Bank and Westdeutsche Landesbank.

Realmgate went bust earlier this year. Now GMC has added Realmgates stores in Birmingham Burton upon Trent Solihull Walsall and Warwick to its existing MPC Mobile Phone Centre stores across east Anglia and the Midlands.

We had been talking to (Realmgate boss) Robert Billingham about the purchase of his MPC-Mobile Phone Centre Stores before the receiver walked in but were unable to put the deal together in time said GMC sales and marketing director Stuart Wright.

We continued negotiations with the Ernst & Young receiver which has now culminated in the addition of the stores.

Our policy in view of the current market place with diminishing returns and the networks route to market moving away from traditional dealers is primarily low-cost acquisition and avoiding the lemming approach to opening new stores in over-crowded high rent towns.

We have already seen some recognised companies go to the wall and we are aware of a number of others in significant trouble Wright added.

J.D.Power said that Oranges customer satisfaction score was 16 per cent above the industry average and was 17 per cent higher than its weakest.

The survey also found that 60 per cent of mobile users would use their phone from home if rates were comparable to fixed telephony. More than half of those surveyed said they would replace their fix-line entirely if the price was right.

The survey was based on interviews with 1800 households questioned on call quality coverage image corporate capabilities customer service handset capabilities price pans and billing.

People said that call quality and coverage was the most important facet of a network.

Compared to the 1998 survey the report said Orange showed the greatest improvement in this area.

J.D. Powers findings on fixed line phone displacement corresponds with our views said Orange chief executive Hans Snook.

That is why we have majored on network coverage and quality as well as services such as Everyday 20. Well continue to build on our strengths to accelerate delivery of the wirefree future Snook added.

The J.D. Power and Associates survey is one of the most authoritative there is. To come top two years running is a great achievement and a great fifth birthday present. It is a powerful reassurance for our 2.6 million customers.

Orange also recently won an Oftel best-network performance survey.