The third-generation mobile phone system which is now in the process of standardisation aims to achieve data transmission speeds from 30 to 100 times higher than current rates.

Ultra-high voice clarity and mobile multimedia applications including video large-capacity data and internet access should be possible through this system. The W-CDMA system also utilises frequencies efficiently allowing more subscribers to share the system.

NECs prototype W-CDMA based mobile phone handset is a compact and lightweight (130g) foldable design. The viewer comprises a small camera microphone and 2-inch colour TFT-LCD screen.

The hands-free function enables users to converse whilst watching the screen. To enable wireless connection between the phone handset and the viewer screen.

NEC is using Bluetooth short-distance radio communications to separate the viewer from the mobile phone to make the phone highly portable and without connection cables or directional infra-red connection. The video phone will be demonstrated at Telecom 99 next week.

Goldie is believed to have been rewarded with several million pounds from the company.

Martin and I established a number of companies before BTCellnet made their investment in Martin Dawes Communications.

The one Ill be putting most of my time and effort into is Martin Dawes Business Communications based around the fixed wire industry. We have a couple of switches and an engineering team that is developing added value fixed wire telecoms.

Martin Dawes Telecommunications will derive very little benefit from Martin Dawes Business Communications in terms of convergence. The two companies are and will continue to be completely separate entities. Its an amicable parting.

My service contract with BTCellnet from the very beginning made it clear that I didn t see my role within Martin Dawes Telecommunications as being a long term one but that I was happy to help them for six months from acquisition.

The network signed 923000 new customers up 301 per cent on the same period a year ago. Vodafone managed 701000 which was double last year. Practically all Vodafone subscribers (689000) joined Pay As You Talk bringing to more than 3190000 the number of people on Vodafone pre-pay.

BTCellnet said it led the market from contract services adding 74000 contract customers to bring the total to 2.83 million. The remaining 2.1 million users are on pre-pay.

Orange added a record 520000 net new UK customers to give a customer base approaching 3.5 million. More than half of new customers joined on contract tariffs. The network says churn fell 0.6 per cent during Q3 to 21.0 per cent giving overall churn of 18.8 per cent.

Quarter Three growth for Orange was more than double the growth during the same period last year. There were 125000 net new customers on Everyday 50 the daily bundle offering off peak national calls at 1p per minute.

The Everyday 50 customer base now stands at 256000 and an increasing number of customers have recognised the attraction and value of using the tariff.

The market continues to grow faster than previously forecast and is building up to a record breaking fourth quarter for Orange. We look forward to further strong growth in all our markets in the fourth quarter commented Graham Howe Orange deputy CEO and group finance director.

One 2 One notched up a 500 per cent increase in net customer additions putting on 604000 between July and September compared with 127000 a year ago.

The 120 per cent growth in customer base took the network to 3254000 customers compared with 1482000 in 1998.

One 2 One said its business customer base has doubled in six months with 660000 business customers now registered with One 2 One. Pre-pay revenues of 16.08 per month are claimed to be the industrys highest. Contract revenues were stable at 40.00 per month said the network with annualised churn rate 21 per cent

One 2 One has delivered extremely high levels of growth this quarter and is well-placed to capture a growing share of mobile sales this Christmas said managing director Tim Samples.

We have increased our product range and broken down barriers to ownership and usage through the introduction of 10p and 2p rates for both contract and prepayment services.

The expansion will create 1000 new jobs and take employment at the plant to more than 4000 people. This makes Motorola one of the largest employers in Scotland.

Motorola has had a presence in Scotland for 30 years. It also has factories at South Queensferry and East Kilbride.

New forecasts from the Swedish mobile phone manufacturer show that the number of users of third generation IMT-2000 mobile telephony will grow faster than expected.

Early 2004 will see 100 million users of IMT-2000 equipment. By the end of the year there will be over 120 million subscribers. A previous forecast pointed to approximately 50 million users by the end of 2004.

Our new forecast is based on the enormous interest that network operators are showing in the evolution of todays mobile communications technology to truly wideband multimedia-capable mobile services across all digital standards said Ericsson president Kurt Hellstrom.

This is due to aggressive operator investments in new packet-data equipment and huge interest in third generation IMT-2000 licenses and timely roll-out of new services.

Ericssons new IMT-2000 forecast also points to a faster pick-up of mobile data usage with around 400 million users of e-mail and internet access by 2004 with four out of 10 internet users also using mobile phones to access the internet.

The conference will be opened by the deputy director general of the National Criminal Intelligence Service Roger Gaspar.

Issues to be discussed include mobile handset security GSM security and VAT-related crime.

Details: 0181 289 9595

@accessories Select is a division of Phones International Group and is headed by ex-20:20 managing director Peter Jones.

Our aim is to offer a program of distribution and support to maximise opportunities for dealers and resellers and offer them a rang

The report was produced by the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee.

It concluded that the levels of emissions by phone masts currently set by the National Radiological Protection board were satisfactory.

The committee also recommended an independent research programme needed to be set up to address outstanding scientific questions that remain unanswered about mobile phone health and safety.

The FEI which represents the UK industry on issues concerning mobile phones and health said:

The FEI has noted the committees recommendations for adoption in the UK of radiowave exposure guidelines set by the International Commission on non-ionising radiation protection. All mobile phones used in the UK already operate well within those guidelines

The industry is currently examining the implications of the committees recommendations for mobile phone base stations all of which operate well within existing exposure guidelines.

The Finnish company has done a licencing deal with Palm Computing so that the devices will run both Palm and Symbian software. Nokia will introduce its first pen-based products in the American market and subsequently on a worldwide basis.

Said Nokia chairman Jorma Ollila:

In the emerging Mobile Information Society we anticipate strong demand for various categories of future wireless devices. So far our handset offering has included phones with keypad input as well as communicators with keyboards. Now we intend to complement our range with products using a pen-based input.

The products include WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and Bluetooth technologies for wireless access to Internet and intranet content.