And T-Mobile claims that the 11.7 million customers now using its network mean it is now the UKs number three – after O2 announced that the addition of 278000 subscribers had increased its total to 11.4 million 300000 short of T-Mobiles.

However the T-Mobile figure includes more than two million Virgin customers. This reduces the number of direct T-Mobile subscribers to around 9.7 million meaning it effectively remains in fourth position behind O2.

However T-Mobile spokesman Patrick Barrow insisted that T-Mobile was now in third place and was aiming to catch and overtake Vodafone and Orange in its bid to become the leading network.

Barrow told Mobile News:

We are now number three in the UK. We are the fastest-growing network in customer numbers and revenue in the UK and we aim to maintain growth by continuing to launch new and competitive offerings. The growth has been partly due to the rebranding and because we have an offering that people in the market want.

There is at last an upturn in the growth of mobile phone subscribers according to the latest subscriber figures released by O2 Vodafone and T-Mobile.

The last quarter saw all four networks and Virgin add an extra 1.4 million subscribers compared with 1.1 million in Q2 and one million in the same quarter last year.

However the figure is well shy of the 3.7 million customers connected in Q3 2000.

The biggest-ever quarterly increase was in Q4 2000 when the networks added 5.7 million net new connections – the majority being pre-pay phones.

This means more than 3.7 million net new connections have been added since the start of the year. There are now more than 48 million mobile phone subscribers in the UK roughly equivalent to 80 per cent market penetration. The figures show that at least 68 per cent of all mobile subscribers use pre-pay rather than post-pay services.

Virgin outstripped Vodafone in the last quarter by adding 232000 subscribers to reach more than two million customers.

Orange retained its position as the network with most customers adding 258000 subscribers to take its total to more than 13 million.

The gap between Orange and Vodafone widened because Vodafone only managed to add 212000 customers over the quarter. Vodafone now has 12 million active customers in the UK. The company says its registered customer base has dropped because it has followed a policy of disconnecting inactive customers. Nevertheless Vodafones active customer base increased because the number of inactive customers on its network fell by four percent.

The networks have also been highlighting a shift away from pre-pay to contract.

O2 claims more than 62 per cent of its new connections were post-pay.

However Vodafone is still the network with the least pre-pay customers according to the figures. Vodafone claims 42.5 per cent of its customers are post-pay compared with 33.4 per cent on O2 and 31.7 per cent on Orange.

Vodafone also claims its customers generate higher revenue per user at 282 per subscriber per year compared with Orange ( 258) O2 ( 238) and T-Mobile ( 214).

O2 claims an increase in SMS usage was responsible for increasing revenue from non-voice services to 15.3 per cent. Orange and Vodafone say data accounted for 14.2 and 11.8 per cent of revenues respectively.

The device weighs 28 grams and is smaller than a disposable camera. It conains two SIM card slots a screen and keypad.

When two SIM cards are inserted the user enters the relevant PIN number to authorise the transfer of data which takes place in a few seconds.

SchlumbergerSema reckons the device could be a key tool in encouraging users to upgrade to enhanced SIM cards allowing operators to sell more revenue-generating services.

For operators in todays competitive market the key to building customer satisfaction and attracting competitors subscribers lies in their capacity to offer innovative and differentiated services. The SIM2SIM device is a simple but powerful tool that enables the subscriber to transfer personal personal data from one card to another in a fast easy and secure way said SchlumbergerSema VP Xavier Chanay.

His best friend who was his accomplice was given a three-month community punishment order after admitting threatening behaviour.

At the time of the offence a member of the public intervened and apprehended one of the attackers who then named his friend.

The operation was set up in 2000 and was supposed to provide telecom services to 3. But despite an investment of around 450 million to date the project has become loss making losing 56 million this year alone. Transco will pay Hutchison 25 million to free 186K from its contract.

186Ks assets include a fibre-optic network of 1800 km linking 20 major towns and cities. The network is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

In September O2 customers sent 451 million messages an increase of 65 million on the previous month while the number of texts generated by Popstars – The Rivals currently totals 1.5 million.

On Saturday November 16 alone more than 200000 votes were cast through premium text in the one-hour voting slot. The show uses O2 technology to allow users of all four networks to cast their votes.

The success of Popstars follows the popularity of other reality TV show such as Big Brother 3.

In Ireland a similar O2-backed talent show Youre A Star received 68 per cent of its votes through SMS.

MmO2 announced that the group had handled a record 2.6 billion SMS messages in the three months ending September 30.

There was more good news with WAP services showing strong growth as well.

In the UK O2 recorded more than 200 million WAP page impressions during September.

The accreditation means Intec will repair Sharps O2-exclusive GX1 handset and Vodafone lives GX10 unit.

Intec business development director Charlo Carabott said:

We welcome the accreditation because it reinforces the fact that we are able to offer a complete service. Most retailers now want a one-stop repair service.

Verizon has around 30.3 million mobile phone customers in the US a significant number of whom travel internationally and so need to have a mobile that will work abroad.

Rent-A-Phone will supply hardware and airtime services to all Verizon customers travelling to the 120 countries using the European standard GSM system plus Japan.

Rent-A-Phone will now provide a 24 hour service for all Verizon Wireless customers travelling outside the US including customer support billing and phone purchase options.

This contract builds on the long-standing relationship we have with Verizon Wireless. We take great pride in the fact that we have a track record and history of providing quality service to Verizon Wireless customers. It was this level of service that earned us the Verizon Wireless business said Rent-A-Phone managing director Clive Drake.

Phones are supplied to Verizon Wireless customers in the US with a flat airtime rent no long-distance toll charges a low equipment rental and no activation fee.

Rent-A-Phones core market is the US. The company was set up 10 years ago.

According to managing director Paul Crossman the money which will be paid over the next six months will be used to strengthen our core activities in the dealer customer service and logistics areas.

Crossman rejects the suggestion that the injection was required because of financial problems the company was rumoured to have had.

It was a matter of the investors seeing potential in the company and acting upon this. There was no financial problem he said.

As to where the money will go Crossman says the companys nationwide field installation team and repair and refurbishment operations are particularly targeted for expansion. Sales and marketing is another branch of the business earmarked for improvement.

At present the company handles 10000 to 15000 handsets a month. Vanguard is also looking to increase the number of dealers it looks after. Currently it specialises in Vodafone and looks after around 100 dealers.

As part of the cash injection the company appointed new chief executive Paolo Fidanza. Fidanza has extensive experience in the automotive and telecommunications sectors and worked with Lotus Cars in both Europe and the US.

The investment will allow us to implement our market strategy at a faster rate. It is great news for the company added Crossman.

It allows us to develop products and services that we can offer to both the UK and mainland Europe.

Current chairman John Sutherland retains the major shareholding in Vanguard.

However Mobileshop.com passed the winding up petition to another creditor Cavendish Communications after successfully receiving payment from Fonekit.

Cavendish which is owed 12 742 by Fonekit took over the winding up petition. It was supported by Customs & Excise which is pursuing Fonekit for 247186. Alpha Packaging is owed 21000.

Fonekit was due to appear in court at the end of November to answer the winding up order. The hearing was adjourned due to a technicality and is due to take place this Wednesday.

Fonekits demise comes only months after its financial controller Peter Scheldt claimed that the company was simply restructuring (Mobile News July 8).

Several companies including Elite Mobile are suing it for non-payment.

In September Mobileshop.com successfully took legal action to recover an outstanding debt of 7000 after receiving a bounced cheque from Fonekit (Mobile News September 16).

Mobileshop.com had to take legal action twice after mistakenly serving a winding up order against Fonekit Ltd instead of Sell-line corporation trading as Fonekit.

At the time Scheldt said that the reason for the bounced cheque was due to the company changing its bankers.

The Philips Fisio 825 is a GPRS and Bluetooth-enabled handset with a 4096-colour TFT display. Philips has added Enhanced Messaging Services (EMS) a new WAP browser and improved user interface for connecting the phone via Bluetooth to laptops or PDAs.

The Fisio 825 screen also has a new Contrast + screen said to be brighter and easier to read in daylight. A new feature called FotoCall allows names in the phonebook to be linked with a specific picture and melody. The inclusion of the Infusio ExEn(R) v.2 colour games engine can says Philips transform the handset into a portable games console with a huge choice of downloadable colour games.