The full judging panel comprises high-level industry association executives dealers ex-senior network managers and retail experts.

They are: Jacqui Brookes (Federation of Communications Services) Tom Wills-Sandford (Federation of Electronic Industries) Alan Hadden (Global Mobile Suppliers Association) Phil Rider (Digital Phone Company) Dave Briggs (In Touch Communications) Gary Radcliffe (ex-One 2 One and Onstar) Andy Press (ex-NEC Mobile) Ian Volans (ex-One 2 One and Vodafone) Andrew Fryatt (ex-Carphone Warehouse and PocketPhone Shop) and David Reavley (Trojan Consultants).

The deadline for entries is January 31. Entry forms and full details on awards categories and how to enter are available on www.mobilenewsawards.co.uk (see P20).

The 2003 Mobile News Awards will be presented at a sold-out black tie gala dinner dance at the Hilton on Park Lane on March 27.

Carphone Warehouse chief executive Charles Dunstone comes in at 99th richest with a 329 million valuation.

Then comes Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross at 146 ( 227 million) and Richard Emanuel at 152 ( 221 million).

Intercity Mobile head Alan Jackson is at number 321 with 107 million and recently-retired Carphone Warehouse co-founder Guy Johnson is at 329 with 103 million.

Phones International founder Peter Jones is the 333rd-richest Briton and judged to be worth 100 million (see White Lines P56).

Martin Dawes is 392nd with 90 million despite losing 30 million on the failed internet venture Breath.com. June Reynolds-Lacey chair of Mobilefone is placed 751st with 50 million while Mobile Phone Store founder Mike McComb is at 794 with 45 million.

Its not all good news for Caudwell and Dunstone though. The Sunday Times also lists them among the years biggest fallers.

Dunstones paper wealth has plunged by 341 million to 329 million following the fall in Carphone Warehouses share price.

Caudwell has dropped 200 million from last year following a revaluation of the business by the Rich List.

Mobile phone retailers will mark phones with a unique identity mark within the workings of the phone and will make owners aware of the use of security measures already in place within the mobile such as PIN numbers and more importantly IMEI numbers.

During January and February mobile phone theft in Perth and Kinross was up 100 per cent over the year and showing no signs of decreasing.

The scheme is only being launched in the police forces Western Division but may be rolled out to other divisions.

The initiative is being run by Constable Donald Campbell Western Division crime prevention officer and Constable Ron Anderson who works in the Crime Management Unit in Perth.

They are being supported by local mobile phone retailers including major companies such as Vodafone and DX Communications.

Mobile phone theft is rife and there is definitely an awareness issue. People need to be sensible and take better care of their property. Mobile phones are stolen from handbags left lying around on tables in night-clubs and pubs. On other occasions we see mobile phones being left in full view within vehicles said Campbell.

Ian Conway licensee of the Ring O Bells bar and chairman of the Safer Trading Environment in Perth said:

Mobile phone theft is a growing menace in this country. This is a first for Scotland and the local police force deserves enormous credit. Many people come to Perth because it is a safe and welcoming city. If this is successful I am sure the rest of the country will follow our example.

Refuel to Win offers the chance to win pairs of VIP packages to the Grand Prix meeting at Silverstone in July every time a customer carries out an electronic top-up for 10 or more. For Text Drive to Win every time customers send a text message they have the chance to win a holiday to Florence which includes a trip to the Maranello race meeting.

Keep Your Phone On offers 2500 Vodafone and Ferrari limited edition fleeces up for grabs by replying within three hours to a winning text message.

This takes staff numbers to almost 1500 employees. The company is recruiting customer service advisors for its large customer centre.

Virgin Mobile expects to soon report strong sales figures for the first three months of 2002. The company now has more than 1.6 million customers.

The companys failure was due to falling orders and the loss of its account to supply its largest customer Co-Op with Orange pre-pay phones and vouchers.

The company is still trading while joint administrators Roger Oldfield and Jim Tucker try to sell it as a going concern.

Full details of the companys trading position were yet to be released as Mobile News went to press last week. However a KPMG spokesperson confirmed last Wednesday night:

New World Payphones is in the hands of administrative receivers. The administrators wish to sell it as a going concern and are seeking interested buyers.

The company will be working jointly to develop a platform capable of becoming the global standard for 3G phones. The intention is to pool their knowledge and produce actual handsets in the near future.

At the same time Matsushita and NEC announced their progress on the joint development of a platform for 3G mobile handsets as well as its application software.

In their first public statement since the firms formed a development alliance last August Matsushita and NEC announced that they have completed the core architecture design which will be used in the 3G mobile handset platform.

This architecture will be used in future NEC and Matsushita 3G mobile handsets and may be licensed to other companies that are interested in using the platform.

Matsushita and NEC have started software developmental activities by establishing a joint development in Yokohama named the 3G Mobile Collaboration Office which aims to speed up product development.

Matsushita and NEC say they have completed the first step in advancing their global strategy for 3G mobile handsets in such areas as technical standardisation core technology and software and product assessment.

Two 30-second commercials promote the up and coming DB7000 and a prototype 3G phone.

The TV burst is backed by a six-week ad campaign in The Times to boost awareness of NECs role in 3G developments.

The ads and two TV commercials carry NECs latest slogan

Empowered by Innovation.