Highlights of the new package include no movement in commission on the 700 1000 and 2000 tariffs despite a reduction on line rental. Customers signed up on talk 120 and above will receive 60 free SMS a month for six months.

Commission for the sale of Oranges care package is to double from 8.50 to 17 suggesting that the package has not done too well since its switch from a free service to a paid-for one at the launch of Your Plan.

Dealers bonuses for selling the SPV 7210 and GD87 are understood to come down by 20 because of supply restrictions. All three products have suffered supply problems.

A new text bundle offers 360 texts a month for 24.

The bank cut its earnings forecast and downgraded the shares as a hold after noting Carphone Warehouses German operations had not performed as well as expected.

CSFB said the introduction of the euro may have accounted for the drop of four per cent in contract connections in continental Europe while UK connections rose 22 per cent.

In its Q3 statement The Carphone Warehouse reported connections of 661000 against 687000 for the same period in 2000.

In the four weeks to December 29 UK connections numbered 303000 compared to 318000 in 2000. European connections were 228000 compared to 251000 the year before.

In addition Link staff will also affix each handset with a warning sticker to tell potential thieves that the phone is marked and will be difficult to sell on.

Customers will also be given a leaflet with a space to record the IMEI number of their phone.

We support the work of the police on combating the rise in mobile theft said The Links MD Nick Wood.

However consumers need to be more vigilant. Despite the common-sense advice given by the industry many owners are still leaving their phones in the path of thieves. The most common thefts are opportunistic happening when mobiles are left on display in parked cars pubs clubs and in open handbags.

At the end of 2002 there were 787 million GSM subscribers across 190 countries worldwide. Since 1997 the number of GSM subscribers has increased a staggering 10-fold.

Late this year or early in 2004 it is predicted that global GSM subscribers will smash through the one billion mark.

The GSMA also confirmed that there are more than 140 GPRS networks commercially deployed with 40 more under construction.

This consistent growth demonstrates that GSM continues to be the most successful open standards model in the wireless world – and possibly the fastest-growing technology ever said GSM Association CEO Rob Conway.

GSM accounts for approximately 72 per cent of the total digital wireless market today said Conway.

The GSM Association consists of more than 660 second- and third-generation wireless network operators as well as main manufacturers and suppliers.

Orange has ordered 200000 SPVs and expects to sell 70000 in the UK before Christmas.

Orange and Microsoft have set aside 16 million to market the handset and much was made of the increased levels of support staffing for the SPV with 4000 customer service staff in place.

The SPV (Sound Pictures Video) is the worlds first handset to use a Microsoft Windows operating system. It claims to offer the world of the PC on a mobile phone and will change the world according to Juha Christensen VP for Microsofts mobile devices marketing group.

The handset is aggressively priced at 179.99 and will be available at Orange stores from this week and across the independent dealer channel from November 11.

The colour handset offers full web access wirefree e-mail instant messaging and picture messaging plus video clips a calendar and a version of Microsofts Powerpoint application. It is picture message-compatible with non-smartphone Orange handsets.

The SPV is made by Korean company High Tech Corporation which also makes the Compaq iPAQ.

Pricing for usage fits into the standard Orange Your Plan structure with a 6 inclusive charge that gives users unlimited web access. Other services will cost extra.

Orange world and brand vice-president Richard Brennan said:

The SPV finally allows us to grow our data revenue to the size we want. It is primarily about messaging. It can and will deliver the promise of mobile data.

Orange currently achieves 10 per cent of its revenue from data and that the company expected this strand to pull in 1.7 billion by the end of 2002. Orange wants 25 per cent of its revenue from data by 2005 he said.

3G is fundamentally about capacity. The abilities that people associate with 3G can be provided across 2.5G as the SPV shows.

The system has been designed so that people can have all their messages voice e-mail and MMS in one in-box. Users can reply to text messages by voice. The handset also give phone numbers and e-mail addresses that appear in message hyperlinks.

A home button and a back button are provided so if users get lost they can easily return to the home page. The SPVs video-streaming capacities are illustrated by several embedded movie trailers.

It is about giving a simple intuitive customer experience commented Christensen.

The joint project already has more than 200 partners on board and 50 of these had completed applications ready for the SPV launch. Examples include street-map downloads and real-time displays such as a Dow Jones feed for businesses.

Corporate concern about data security has also been taken into account.

Businesses want to be able to manage all their devices and they want to know what applications are running on them said Christensen. By backing the handsets up on the Orange network they can finally do this.

Brennan noted that the comparison between PC and handset was an appropriate one. We are offering an always-on machine. The SPV gives users the ability to carry personal information whenever wherever and however they want.

He added: There will be a lot of point of sale marketing a lot of demonstration shows and demonstrations in-store and out-of-store. A lot of money has been spent on training.

The company is also working with manufacturers Sendo and Samsung and expects to have further handsets available over the next six months.

Virgin Mobile corporate affairs head Steven Day said:

Were delighted to be one of the sponsors of next years Mobile News Awards. Its a great event a fun night out and one of the best networking opportunities of the year.

T-Mobile declined to continue One 2 Ones sponsorship of the Awards because it wanted to refocus on what initiatives we want to expand on and those we wish to pull back from.

Meanwhile all Platinum tables for the black-tie gala dinner dance at the Hilton on Park Lane on March 27 have completely sold out to companies such as:

Hutchison 3G Motorola Nokia Mitsubishi M-fusion Data Select Carphone Warehouse Unique Distribution 20:20 Logistics Siemens Elite Mobile Axxent and Samsung.

Other tables have gone to SonyEricsson Hugh Symons Sony Cellular Services Gemplus NEC Intec 4U MPRC and Aerofone.

Gold Silver and Bronze tables are still available (see table application form on Page 32 for full details).

The new products will be available from November exclusively at Virgin retail outlets direct from Virgin Mobile and at Virgins website. Hama already supplies a wide variety of other product accessories to the UK including audio-visual photographic and computer products.

The Samsung T100 has been named as the official player handset and will be used by the entire Arsenal squad until it is upgraded to the latest model.

An official Arsenal Samsung T100 will be released on O2 – Arsenals main sponsor – in both pre-pay and contract. It will be configured with Arsenal screensavers an animated welcome message three polyphonic ringtones and animated wallpapers plus the chance to enter into a free prize draw to win Arsenal merchandise.

Arsenal FC and Samsung are also currently running a number of joint marketing initiatives for fans on Arsenalmobile.com in match-day programmes the

They are: Airsys Communication Technology Arian Communication BRP ContactOne GB Communications London Communication Project Telecom and Relcom Communication.

The partnerships have been planned to improve the availability and support of the Dolphin UK TETRA network which currently provides nationwide coverage and mobile radio services to 42000 business subscribers.

We are placing significant focus on our distribution channel. We see it as a fundamental part of Dolphins market strategy and we aim to work with expert distributors in our market to significantly ramp up Dolphins return to market in the UK said Dolphin Telecom chief executive officer Tony Greaves.

Dolphin moved out of administration in June after specialist wireless operator Inquam bought its business and assets for 25 million. Dolphin had been in the hands of administrators since August 2001 after accumulating estimated debts of 800 million.

It had provided the TETRA radio services network in the UK since August 1999 and remained operational throughout the administration period.

The UK operation which Inquam has acquired includes a 45000 customer base; a number of offices including the headquarters in Basingstoke; the network itself covering 96 per cent of the UK population and more than 1000 base stations.

The eight countries yet to adopt GSM are Colombia Djibouti Ecuador Eritrea Haiti Iraq Uruguay and Zaire.

There are 57 wireless operators and companies within the GSM Associations global representation.