The figure comes from research carried out by external company E-Satisfy which used electronic learning software to monitor and analyse voice and data calls to the customer call centre.

The Association says it now expects the total number of GSM users to exceed 630 million worldwide by the end of the year. GSM is in use in more than 171 countries while around 55 GPRS networks are commercially deployed around the world.

The total digital wireless market is expected to reach one billion customers by year end said GSM chief executive Rob Conway.

The challenges ahead are no less dramatic than those of the past and we can only meet them through co-operation and collaboration. More than 80 per cent of the worlds digital wireless carriers that have made 3G technology choices have declared that their future will be in 3GSM deployments said Conway.

By the end of this year more than 630 million wireless consumers will have chosen todays GSM technology. This is a number that can only increase with the proliferation of commercial GPRS EDGE and 3GSM services.

The GSM Association consists of 574 second and third-generation wireless network operators and key manufacturers and suppliers.

Membership of the GSM Association spans 171 countries worldwide.

The GSM Association also says around three quarters of a billion text messages were being sent every day globally by the end of September. The Association says the daily texting rate will regularly top one billion when the impact of internet-to-mobile messaging services is included.

Early forecasts for the end-of-year Holiday Season and New Year period – a peak time for text traffic – estimate that six billion mobile-to-mobile messages will be sent during this time one for every person on the planet the GSM Association states.

As use has exploded so too has the range of applications. Sports results betting services lottery-style games and financial services have all taken to SMS. Nevertheless straightforward person-to-person texting still accounts for the bulk of the traffic and has led to the development of a unique language that is now part of a global youth culture.

Kids in places like Australia and New Zealand are using the same shortcuts and word formations as the kids in the UK and Europe. SMS has helped create a new global language says Conway.

The text craze is strongest in Europe with the Scandinavian countries to the fore but other parts of the world are catching on fast.

The Far East Australia and New Zealand are all seeing rapid rises in SMS take-up says the Association.

SMS has had far greater and faster take-up in the youth market and even in the business community than e-mail experienced. E-mail was invented 30 years ago and required more than 20 years to achieve widespread adoption compared to the three-year gestation of SMS adds the Association.

Formation says messages on billing statements can drive up customer revenue.

In the same way that Sony uses brand names such as Vaio Walkman and Playstation for its consumer products the new mobile communications produced by the joint venture will have a new brand name to be decided upon before October1.

The new company will employ 3500 employees and aims to be the global leader in third generation and mobile Internet devices. Products will be produced in Sony and Ericsson factories including some of the outsourced facilities used by Ericsson such as Flextronics.

Both Sony and Ericsson will continue to produce and market existing and announced products through the remainder of this year and well into next year until the first of the new products from the Joint venture arrives.

It is the first time that Oldman has starred in a TV commercial.

Filming started in Hollywood last week. Viewers will see the new commercial next month.

Oldman is the biggest star yet signed for a One 2 One campaign. Previous celebrities have included people such as broadcaster Zoe Ball footballer-turned-film star Vinnie Jones Beirut hostage John McCarthy and model Kate Moss.

Oldman has starred in major releases such as Dracula Air Force One JFK Leon Sid and Nancy and can currently be seen in Hannibal and The Contender.

One 2 One marketing director Tim Yates said:

One 2 Ones advertising heritage allows us to attract major celebrities to star in our commercials. Gary Oldman is the perfect choice to star in the forthcoming story that will delight and intrigue viewers over the coming months.

For the remaining 41 per cent of Islanders who are still unconnected Jersey Telecoms is offering 10 off a JT GSM freedom and 100 minutes worth of free local calls (worth 15). Contract buyers can purchase a Trium Mars-WAP handset package (valued at 114.99) including up to 1000 minutes worth of free calls.

Sales director Richard Walker has moved into a European role in charge of retail across the 14 countries in the Group.

Jonathan Hook has been appointed UK sales and marketing director and maintains overall responsibility for below the lineadvertising and all marketing support required by UK retail.

Tristia Clarke has been promoted from head of public relations to head of communications and will assume responsibility for above the line advertising public relations and employee communications.

Andrew Pinnington has been promoted to chief operating officer of the Telecoms Services division and will work alongside Value Telecoms MD Peter Edwards to manage Value Telecom and the facilities management business (CPW Services).

Chris Murton has been appointed online services director and assumes responsibility for all E-Commerce Interactive TV and Direct Sales activity and Andrew Sherwood formerly head of HR has been promoted to human resources director.

The call was made last week from a prototype 3G mobile from one of Vodafones six chosen 3G handset manufacturers over Vodafones initial 3G network of 30 radio base stations in the Thames Valley.

A progressive roll-out of Vodafones 3G network has been underway since Autumn 2000 and it is anticipated that commercial 3G services will be launched in the second half of 2002.

At launch it is likely that major conurbations and transportation routes will be the principal focus of service.

TRO payments will be calculated at the appropriate rate from August 1 for all BTCellnet customers who have been continuously connected to RSL for six months or more.

TRO payments regarding ex-RSL BTCellnet customers are to be paid through normal monthly commission mechanisms.

An upgrade process is being set up to allow BTCellnet dealers to continue to manage RSL COM customers.

RSL COM dealers business plans were thrown into turmoil when it became evident that the lump sum payments due to them this Autumn under RSL COMs Commission Plan 2000 (CP2000) would not be made.

BTCellnet has formally written to the estimated 60000 RSL COM customers it has acquired from the administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers to tell them that their contracts had been transferred to BTCellnet. RSL COM will continue to provide billing and customer service for a transition period of two to three months.

BTCellnet sales director Mark Stansfeld last month told Mobile News that the network was under no obligation to pay ongoing commissions but that it recognised it had a responsibility to dealers with whom it had a relationship.

The phone was to have launched in the third quarter of 2002 but after several delays launch was put back to the end of February 2003.

The P800 which includes a PDA and MP3 player and offers video streaming as well as a camera function will be distributed to the dealer channel and available for sales from the following Monday.

Its arrival couldnt have come at a better time after parent company Ericsson reported its seventh quarterly loss in a row at the start of the month. Cutbacks by mobile phone operators and delay in the rolling out of 3G systems were cited as reasons for the poor results.

Sony Ericsson UK marketing director Peter Marsden said:

The P800 has some distinct advantages over the handsets on the market at the moment and those set to come out. We are also confident that people will appreciate how stable it is. (See interview P18).