The new man is Huw Evans who joins European Telecom from NEI Group a medium-size producer and distributor of consumer electronic products and white goods based in Eastern Europe.

Before NEI Evans was finance and business strategy executive to the main board of Fujitsu-ICL preceded by 14 years at Rank Xerox.

He is a qualified chartered accountant and Oxford graduate.

We are delighted that Huw will be joining our team. He brings years of experience of financial management and stewardship within the international public company arena which will be of great value to the future development and growth of European Telecom said chairman Warren Hardy.

The Cellular Service Providers Group (CSPG) of the Federation of Communications Services says such cuts would be an important step in opening indirect access by SPs to the networks.

It is in the national interest to maximise traffic across the mobile telephone infrastructure by facilitating indirect access as well as service provision says the CSPG

In a submission on Oftels competition document the CPSG says the market power of the four networks restricts competition and pushes up consumer prices.

The CSPG disagrees with Oftel that effective competition is developing and says competition is being eroded by the reduction in the number of service providers.

The Group wants the networks to provide airtime at the same wholesale rates to independent SPs as they do to their tied SPs adding service providers have continued to provide service and retain customers despite unfair competition.

Mohammed Aqeel (23) pleaded guilt at Southwark Crown Court to attempting to handle stolen goods.

Three other men (Mohammed Faruk Shah Alam and Shabir Mohammed) were cleared when the judge ruled the prosecution had failed to prove a conspiracy.

Aqeel intended to get the Irish Phone Company to supply him with phones on credit. He gave the details of a genuine and reputable company but changed the phone and fax numbers and claimed delivery should be made to a fictional East London warehouse.

But the Irish Phone Company suspected a con and helped set up a police trap by delivering a bogus package stuffed with pieces of wood.

Aqeel and the three acquitted men were arrested when the delivery was made to the address Aqeel gave.

Healy will now be chairman-elect for the year 2000/2001. Healy was also elected the chairman of GSM North America the North American Interest Group of the GSM Association in April 1998. In North America there are 17 companies providing GSM service to more than 3 million customers in nearly 3000 cities in 44 U.S. states the District of Columbia and four Canadian provinces.

Prior to joining Cook Inlet/Voicestream PCS LLC which he has managed since its formation in 1995 Healy was in charge of engineering and operations of McCaw Cellular Communications Wireless Data Division.

He began his career in sales and marketing positions at New York Telephone. In 1982 he joined Northern Telecom Inc. in Dallas Texas as national manager for industry marketing and the next year became director of sales – cellular systems. Healy is a founding director of the Wireless Information Networks Forum a founding director of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) and a Fellow of the Radio Club of America.

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.