These allow the user to access any two networks from their existing mobile phone.

Turning the phone off then on again automatically switches the network.

A connecting card fits into the phones own SIM holder.

The cover looks like a normal back phone cover and users can swap the cover with their existing one in less than a minute.

The idea is that users can select the best tariff and coverage to suit the time and place that they make a call and separate their call charges such as business and personal.

Or users says Elite could simply double their SIM card capacity by inserting two SIMs from the same network into the cover

The new range of covers will retail at under 20 and are available for a wide variety of Nokia Ericsson Philips Motorola and Panasonic handsets in the colours of the original covers.

The 62 stores are currently trading under a variety of names: MPC Midland Phones. JWE and Moco. all inherited from acquisitions over the last two years.

The mobile product is changing said GMC managing director Graham Cornhill.

We are on the threshold of a new mobile era and we wanted a High Street name that moved us away from mobile phones but sat comfortably with the future of cellular products and the impact of 3G said Cornhill.

Were now a major player in the High street. But to enable us to take full advantage of the economies of scale a multiple store retailer can command a re-branding was a must. With our new look and name we will be perfectly placed to take advantage of the new cellular opportunities that will come with 3G.

Last September GMC claimed to now be one of the top five independent dealerships in the UK with 37 stores doing 5000 connections a month. GMC bought 20 MoCo Mobile Phone centre stores a year ago.

Orange Shop Oxford Street employee Derek Justin Akpabio (25) is accused of stealing a total of 2750 in sums of between 50 and 150 during a three-month period.

He is also charged on numerous counts of falsifying receipts by pretending they had been signed by customers.

An Orange spokesperson said:

We can confirm that Orange Just Talk pre-pay packages will no longer be stocked in Marks and Spencer stores. This follows a decision by Marks and Spencer to sell only in-house products across their entire range of retail stock.

A Marks and Spencer spokesperson added:

The Company will return to selling only own-brand products and brands exclusive to Marks & Spencer so it can guarantee customers the quality value and service they have come to expect. Central to the recovery plan is the delivery of significant improvements in product appeal availability and value thereby rebuilding the relationships with core Marks & Spencer customers.

Marks and Spencers was investigating the possibility of starting a virtual mobile service.

This has also been axed as part of the group restructuring.

Orange spokesperson Chris King confirmed:

We are aware that M&S put out a tender on an MVNO operation some time back but nothing more has happened since then. Theres been no further progress.

The announcement follows GMs decision to suspend its MVNO OnStar operation until further notice .

MVNOs are under increased pressure. It remains to be seen as to how many can ride the slowdown in the market.

One 2 One is extremely disappointed by the Court of Appeals ruling. The preferential terms awarded to Vodafone and Orange have given them an unfair commercial advantage that has distorted competition said One 2 One.

The four Survivor text messaging services allows people to sign-up for show alerts; receive news updates play Survivor trivia quizzes for prizes; guess the nextcontestant to be thrown off the show for weekly prizes.

The service is aimed at attracting younger viewers with access to the service.

AJayarat Natarajan (30) pleaded guilty to stealing the mobile phone on a train at Kings Cross station shortly before midnight on April 6 and assaulting an off-duty policeman who apprehended him.

The prosecutor told the court Natarajan had picked up a phone which a passenger forgot on a seat. But he was pulled up by another passenger who was calling the departing owner back and telling Natarajan he could not keep it.

But Natarajan refused to hand the phone over saying finders keepers. At that stage off duty policeman PC Riley intervened identified himself and demanded that Natarajan return the phone.

He refused shoved the policeman in the chest and was then arrested

When told of his two week jail sentence Natarajan turned to his lawyer and said you having a laugh?.

Deputy District Judge Rosamond Keating told him you are going to serve two weeks now leave the dock.

In another similar incident a student accused of stealing a mobile phone failed to appear at Horseferry road Court in London and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Patrick McGuinness (32) of Camden North London is charged with stealing the mobile phone and a handbag and contents from Laura Ennis at the Pitcher and Piano pub in Dean Street Soho London on March 30.

The study confirms that mobile operators can expect future revenue growth from m-commerce.

The study conducted by independent market research agency MORI found that roughly eight-times as many people would use m-commerce as compared to the number of people actually using eCommerce today.

The study also showed that nearly 90 per cent of people interested in using m-commerce services will also be willing to pay extra for the convenience of making purchases with m-commerce.

MORI interviewed over 11000 people in six markets from October 2000 to January in Great Britain South Korea Italy USA Brazil and Finland

The study revealed that mobile-phone users view m-commerce as complementary to alternative remote-commerce channels such as the Internet.

Most are willing to pay extra for m-commerce services. This suggests that consumers see real value and benefit in using their mobile phones as tools for shopping.

The study demonstrated that convenience and control will play a pivot role in acceptance of m-commerce.

Participants saw m-commerce as a way of avoiding carrying cash or waiting in queues as well as a way to grain greater control over expenditures and enjoy unlimited purchasing possibilities.

The agreement is claimed to be one of the largest of its kind in

Nationwide League Division One and represents the biggest shirt sponsorship deal in the clubs history.

Digital Phone Company says it is s the largest independent mobile phone retailer in East Anglia.

As well as being Vodafones main business partner in the region the company is also Oranges main regional partner and has strong ties with One 2 One.

Digital Phone Company will produce Norwich City-branded mobile phones and accessories and plans to introduce a special tariff and SMS SMS service for supporters.

So says the Association of Communications Services Providers (ACSP) which represents the interests of providers of communication services. The ACSP commissioned an outside specialist to analyse the current state of the market.

It concluded neither 3G nor a fifth network operator will have an impact on the effectiveness of competition in the mobile market.

The report says four mobile networks is not sufficient to encourage price competition and that prices are higher than they need to be particularly for mobile to mobile off-net calls and for international roaming.

There is no choice of supplier for text messaging and the price per message remains inordinately high. There is potential for leverage of market power by the operators into new retail services such as mobile internet portals says the ACSP.

Competition with better deals for consumers will only come if independent service providers were also allowed to buy wholesale unbundled airtime from the network operators in order to offer their own retail tariffs.

There is continuing concern that anti-competitive behaviour by the regulated operators has and continues to take place despite investigations by Oftel concluding otherwise. Oftel asks is there effective competition and are consumers getting a good deal? We say no to both questions says the ACSP.