Orange is joining forces with the Medusa Submarine Cable System to provide a landing point in France.

The cable system, set to be 8,760km long, will arrive in Marseille in 2024 and claims to be the first cable to connect countries around the Mediterranean. It is set to provide telecommunication infrastructure access to North African countries as well as six EU states: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus.

The French telco has been chosen as the leading submarine cable landing party in Marseille, it revealed on 12 December, due to it being the only operator to have the necessary scalable infrastructure in the area, as well as the technical expertise to land and maintain the submarine cable system.

The company is currently working on its submarine cable access strategy by investing in new urban infrastructure to improve the resilience of access and landing points, as well as connecting the data centres in the city. How much is being spent on this investment has not been revealed. Orange is also set to take charge of the regulatory, technical, security, and environmental aspects of the submarine cable’s landing in Marseille.

"We are particularly pleased to welcome the Medusa cable to Orange's infrastructure in the heart of the Mediterranean hub of Marseille, as part of a strategic and ambitious project,” said Michaël Trabbia, interim CEO of Orange Wholesale & International Networks. “By combining our submarine cable landing stations with our new urban infrastructure, we are strengthening Marseille's attractiveness as a digital gateway to Europe, and beyond that, France's sovereignty.”

The Medusa cable is expected to help develop digital ecosystems of North African countries as well as have a positive impact on the economies of the countries involved, claimed the firm. In North Africa, it’s set to land in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt.

It’s an open system that will have a total of 16 landing points around the Mediterranean sea. Its segments will contain 24 fibre pairs with a capacity of 20 Tb/sec per pair. The system is also expected to be ready for service at the end of 2024 for the West Mediterranean region, while the Eastern Mediterranean region will be operational by the first half of 2025.

Orange isn’t the only telco working to land submarine cables, as the Indian firm Bharti Airtel said on 6 December it was working with Meta and the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) to bring the world’s largest subsea cable to India. It’s hoping to improve the country’s telecoms infrastructure by connecting it to the 2Africa Pearls subsea cable, which claims to be the longest in the world.

BT is to acquire rival network operator EE for 12.5 billion, after several weeks of exclusive negotiations between the pair.

The British telco has signed a definitive agreement to acquire EE, which will see it take over control of its 31 million-strong customer base, and its 834,000 fixed broadband customers.

It will also pave the way for BT to establish itself as a major player in the quad-play market, as it will now be in a position to offer customers access to mobile, broadband, TV and landline packages.

This is a position more and more telcos are making moves to get in, as users prefer the convenience of dealing with one provider for these different utilities.

It's also proving a lucrative area for providers to get into, with TalkTalk recently citing its decision to offer quad-play packages as the driving force behind the firm chalking up its strongest ever quarter of growth.

The mooted 12.5 billion would be paid on a debt/cash-free basis as a mixture of cash and shares to EE's owners Deutsche Telekom and Orange.

Deutsche Telekom is set to acquire a 12 per cent share in BT as a result of the deal, and would be granted permission to appoint one member to the BT board of directors.

Orange, meanwhile, would be gifted a four per cent share in BT.

Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT, said both firms' customers stand to benefit from the deal by gaining twin access to the UK's biggest fibre and 4G networks.

"Consumers and businesses will benefit from new products and services, as well as from increased investment and innovation.

"The deal provides an attractive opportunity for BT to generate considerable value for shareholders, with significant operating and capital investment efficiencies supported by our tried and tested cost transformation activities," she said.

"The enlarged BT will offer significant opportunities for employees as we lead the creation of a world-class digital infrastructure for Britain."

Olaf Swantee, chief executive of EE, said joining forces with BT should ensure the UK remains "at the forefront of the mobile revolution", and bring huge innovation benefits.

"Joining BT represents an exciting next stage for our company, customers, and people. In the last few years alone, we have built the UK's biggest, fastest and best 4G network, significantly advancing the digital communications infrastructure for people and businesses across Britain."

The deal is expected to close before the end of BT's 2015/2016 financial year.

BT to buy EE: The story so far

BT was given several weeks to perform the necessary due diligence before deciding whether or not to embark on a definitive acquisition agreement with EE in mid-December.

As reported by IT Pro at the time, BT was expected to confirm whether or not it will purchase O2 or EE on 15 December, as rumours emerged about its plans to take over one of the network operators for a rumoured 10 billion.

News of a possible deal between between Telefonica and BT, which would see the latter buy back the O2 mobile business from the Spanish firm, was first mooted at the end of November.

In a statement at the time, BT confirmed the two were in communication and said, "all discussions are at a highly preliminary stage and there can be no certainty that any transaction will occur".

"We have received expressions of interest from shareholders in two UK mobile network operators, of which one is O2, about a possible transaction in which BT would acquire their UK mobile business," the statement added.

It later emerged the second network operator referred to in the BT statement was EE, which was formed more than four years ago through the merger of Orange and T-Mobile.

Regulatory approval

However, before the deal can go ahead, it will need to be approved by regulators and BT's shareholders, but this isn't expected to cause too much of a hold-up.

Gartner research director Charlotte Patrick told IT Pro the "EU sound like they are coming around to the idea" of general consolidation in the global telecoms market, which would pave the way nicely for a merger.

She added that any possible deal between BT and EE "would mirror the sort of configuration that you have in other European countries already".

This story was originally published on 25 November, but has since been updated - most recently on 05/02/2015 - to reflect ongoing developments.

Mobile operator EE has confirmed a scripting fault is to blame for the deluge of marketing-related text messages customers have received over the past several days, and has assured them it has now been fixed.

The company, which operates T-Mobile and Orange network brands in the UK, has been criticised on social media sites and user forums in recent days for sending out multiple promotional SMS text alerts to its customers.

In most cases, the texts refer to Orange's Magic Numbers service, which allows the firm's customers to call certain numbers they nominate in advance for free.

According to numerous posts on the social networking site Twitter, Orange customers have been repeatedly receiving the same message, notifying them that they can now add "another" Magic Number to their frequent callers list since the weekend.

Many users have reported receiving between 18 to 50 text messages a day, and EE has now moved to assure customers the issue has been fixed.

In a statement to IT Pro this afternoon, the company said: "The text issue that was affecting some Orange customers has now been fixed. The duplicate texts were caused by a script issue with one of our database suppliers, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused."

In a post on the EE Community web forum, the company apologised for inundating users with Magic Numbers-related text message reminders and confirmed users will not be charged for receiving them.

As of this morning, EE and Orange customers were still waiting on the issue to be rectified, prompting the following statement. "We're sorry that some Orange customers are receiving duplicate reminder texts about Orange Magic Numbers. This is being caused by a technical error which we're working hard to fix," it explained.

Ofcom has released its latest report on the volume of complaints it receives regarding the major providers of telecoms and pay TV services.

According to the report, which covers Q4 2013, TalkTalk is the most complained about landline provider a position it has held since 2011 followed by BT, which has consistently been second or joint-second since Q3 2012, Sky and Virgin.

However, while TalkTalk holds the dubious honour of coming out on top, the proportion of complaints has decreased year-on-year, dropping from 0.84/1,000 customers in Q4 2011 to 0.27/1,000 in Q4 2013.

The industry average has also been steadily dropping, standing at 0.16 in the most recent report, compared to 0.19 in Q3 2013 and 0.3 back in 2011.

When it comes to fixed broadband, Virgin and Sky continue to perform well, remaining below the industry average in this area.

BT comes off worst, with 0.32 complaints per 1,000 customers, followed closely by EE at 0.29 with TalkTalk coming in third place with 0.21. The industry average is 0.17.

The two companies that make up EE, Orange and T-Mobile, were ranked worst in terms of the number of complaints regarding pay-monthly mobile phone providers at 0.12/1,000 customers and 0.11/1,000 customers, respectively.

O2 is the best performing, at 0.029 complaints per 1,000 customers, followed by Three at 0.033/1,000 customers. This is a significant drop for Three, from 0.06/1,000 in Q3.

Claudio Pollack, director of Ofcom's consumer group, said: "This report acts as a significant incentive to providers to work to address issues driving complaints and deliver an improved quality of service to their customers.

"We're committed to giving consumers valuable information to help them choose a provider that best suits their needs. Consumer complaints also help us to identify where enforcement action is needed and ensure that providers comply with our rules."

Customers on pay monthly mobile phone contracts with Orange and T-Mobile will have to pay 3.3 per cent more in future, as a result of inflation.

The two operators, which merged in 2010, said the price hike will typically result in most pay monthly customers having to pay around 70p extra a month.

The price hike has been blamed on inflation and will come into effect on 10 April 2013 for Orange customers, and for T-Mobile users on 9 May 2013.

However, customers that have recently joined T-Mobile will not be affected by the price rise until November 2013, and neither will those that have recently signed up for Orange's new Animal or The Works payment plans.

"All other charges outside your allowance, such as call costs, text and bundles, stay the same," the companies said in post on their respective websites.

In a statement to IT Pro, the companies said customers will also have the option to fix the price of their monthly contracts.

"We know price rises are never great news, but we always aim to offer great value to our customers as well as the best service on the UK's biggest network," it stated.

"We have listened to our customers and understand that some would like the option of fixing the price of their monthly plan. That's why we are launching a Fix You Monthly Plan' option the first of its kind in the industry," the statement added.

The scheme will reportedly ensure end users continue to pay the same amount each month for the duration of their contract, even if further price rises are introduced.

Pricing for the plan starts at 50p per month for people who pay up to 14.99 a month for their T-Mobile or Orange contract, and will cost up to 2.00 a month for people on 35 a month deals.

The operators aren't the only ones to have increased their prices in line with inflation recently, as O2's pay monthly customers were recently hit with a 3.2 per cent price jump that came into effect at the end of last month.

Comms provider EE has confirmed that 78 of its 700 high street retail outlets are to close.

The company was created following the merger of the Orange and T-Mobile brands in the UK in 2009.

In September 2012, the firm underwent a massive rebranding exercise to mark the start of its 4G rollout plans in the UK, which saw the firm change its name from Everything Everywhere to EE.

As part of this, Orange and T-Mobile shops up and down the country were rebranded as EE stores, resulting in some high streets featuring one or more of its outlets.

In a statement, the company said it has earmarked stores in areas with one or more EE shops for closure, and claims all frontline staff will be moved to other stores.

It also said it will seek to find roles for the "small number" of store managers affected by its change in retail strategy.

"Following the successful launch of EE, and the rebranding of former Orange and T-Mobile stores last year, we are determined to maintain momentum, and continue to drive growth," it said.

"As part of this, where we have two EE stores in very close proximity to each other in some places they are just a door away we have decided to consolidate.

"This makes commercial sense and will also help us manage the high levels of demand in our stores and improve the customer experience," the statement added.

News of the store closures comes hot on the heels of HMV and Blockbuster entering administration this week.

Orange has launched a global free calling and texting application, putting the firm in direct competition with services such as Skype, WhatsApp and Viber.

Telecom operators around the globe have suffered as free calling and texting services have proliferated over the past few years.

The apps allow users to communicate without using their voice or text allotments, leading some operators like KPN to complain about the hit to their bottom line.

As a result, market watchers are predicting that many operators may decide to turn their backs on voice services and concentrate more on data instead.

Giles Corbett, who developed the application called 'Libon' for Orange, said telecom operators needed to come up with equivalent services.

"The situation is really simple - either you deliver the most compelling service or your users switch to something else. What's the alternative? We want to be in there," he said in an interview.

The application can be used by any iPhone user for free, while the company charges for some premium features like transcripts of voicemail or email copies of voicemails.

Libon will be available for smartphones using Google's Android software in the first quarter of 2013.

Telefonica also launched a similar app, called Tu Me, in May, while Deutsche Telekom has one known as Bobsled.

With other European operators, Orange has also been working on a new technology known as rich communications suite (RCS), which is supposed to update traditional mobile calls by adding chat functions, live video and file sharing across all devices.

The telecoms industry association GSMA has been working on standardizing RCS for use across all telecom operators and all handsets.

Orange, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, AT&T and China Mobile are working on deploying RCS to their customers.

Orange said it was preparing a launch of RCS, which has been branded 'Joyn' by operators to give it a more consumer-friendly moniker, in June 2013.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller is to host peace talks' between the major mobile phone operators to help put an end to the years of legal wrangling over the rollout of 4G networks in the UK.

A spokesperson for the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed reports about the proposed mini summit and told IT Pro a meeting will be taking place tomorrow evening.

Miller is said to want a "comprehensive armistice" between O2, Vodafone, Three, and EE (Everything Everywhere), according to a report in The Sunday Times.

Miller hopes an accord between the firms will speed up the deployment of 4G networks in the UK.

The talks follow years of squabbling between the four firms. Most recently, O2 was said to be considering legal action against EE after it was granted permission to recycle some of its existing spectrum to roll out 4G in the UK.

Sources close to the negotiations told IT Pro they welcomed anything that brought forward the auction, as each day without 4G is a disadvantage to the consumer.

A further source said they hoped the negotiations would put an end to the cycle of litigation, and that - if successful - the network auction could take place in spring 2013.

Rob Bamforth, an analyst at market watcher Quocirca, told IT Pro: "If this does bring the auction forward it is good news, as it will bring more open competition and innovation to the industry.

"However, it remains to be seen if this really will result in telcos reaching for their engineers rather than reaching for their lawyers."

Mobile operator Orange has joined forces with Barclaycard to allow Samsung Galaxy S3 owners to make contactless payments using the firms' Quick Tap service.

The two companies claim the deal means the Galaxy S3 will be the first Android smartphone capable of making Quick Tap payments.

New pay monthly Orange customers or those upgrading their handset to a Samsung Galaxy S3 can use the device to make Visa payments of up to 20 from tomorrow.

S3 users will first need to download an app to activate the service, which will allow them to make payments by tapping the device against a till point payment terminal.

Mobile payments are safe and have a full fraud guarantee.

Orange customers that download the app before Friday 5 October will also receive 50 to spend for free.

The technology tie-up between the two firms comes hot on the heels of last week's news about Orange's parent company, Everything Everywhere, signing a similar deal with MasterCard.

Simeon Bird, director of propositions at Orange UK, said: "Contactless mobile payments are a secure and convenient alternative to cash and cards and we are pleased to be the first network in the UK to offer its customers such an innovative service."

Tom Gregory, head of digital payments at Barclaycard, added: "Mobile payments are safe and have a full fraud guarantee and we've seen ever growing numbers of people using contactless to make quick and secure payments of up to 20."

Everything Everywhere has signed a five-year deal with MasterCard to allow mobile payments to be made using near field communication (NFC) technology.

The contactless technology will be the first service to be made available to customers through the partnership.

The two firms said they plan to expand the scope of the deal into other areas, including person-to-person money transfers, loyalty rewards and digital payment services.

The arrangement will also see the two collaborate on developing services for small businesses to take payments using mobile devices.

The companies have been working together for three years on Orange's Quick Tap service, the first commercially available NFC-enabled payments service in the UK, and the Orange Cash prepaid card.

Gerry McQuade, chief marketing officer of Everything Everywhere, said working with MasterCard was an important step in making mobile payments more widely available.

"By moving our existing co-branded card offers onto mobile devices, we are closer to a world where our customers will be able to use their phone to pay for travel, pay for small purchases and take advantage of loyalty rewards from their favourite retail outlets," he said.

Marion King, president of MasterCard UK and Ireland, said the company's "vision" is of a world beyond cash, where consumers and small businesses can benefit from simple payments using smart technology.

"The partnership we are announcing today builds on our strong heritage in the mobile payments space and ensures that MasterCard remains the partner of choice for leading businesses in the UK," she said.

"As the use of cash continues to decline, we will be able to provide Everything Everywhere's 27 million customers with an attractive range of new payment services backed by the processing power and security of MasterCard," added King.

Intel has been touting the high-performance and all-day battery life of the San Diego as major selling points. We put the handset to the test to see if the firm has managed to roll out a device which is suitable for business users.

Performance

The San Diego features an Atom Z2460 processor which has a single Saltwell core running at 1.6Hz. This is combined with PowerVR's SGX540 graphics core, 877MB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. On paper this looks like a good combination for a phone with a mid-market price.

Benchmarks results for the San Diego were mixed. The SunSpider's Java test showed the device is able to render pages in a rapid-fire 1526.8ms. This is faster than the Qualcomm-based dual-core HTC One S (1846.9ms) and even the One X (1977.9ms), which is powered by NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 processor. The results help to back up Intel's claims that high-performance in the mobile space can be achieved without using multiple cores at this time.

Intel has incorporated its Hyper-Threading technology allowing the San Diego to equal performance of high-end smartphones

We were surprised when the Geekbench app which benchmarks processor and memory performance returned a lowly score of 324, which is almost 200 below the 100 Huawei Ascend G 300's 520 score.

Although Geekbench suggests there are processing pitfalls, in real world testing we experienced no performance issues. The phone was responsive when carrying out demanding tasks such as browsing full desktop sites. Intel's Hyper-Threading technology usually kicks in to deliver a boost in performance when running multiple apps and when using the internet or watching videos.

The San Diego also features Bluetooth 2.1, GPS and supports NFC. Although uses of NFC are limited at this time, users will have the ability to make use of it when infrastructure is in place.

Disappointingly, the device ships with Android Gingerbread 2.3.7. There should be an upgrade to version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) before the year is out, but there is no guarantee and the process of upgrading over-the-air isn't always the smoothest. By the time ICS rolls out, Android 5.0 Jelly Bean could be on the market, which doesn't make it ideal for users looking to stay up-to-date.

Battery

There were concerns about how long the battery in the San Diego would last when compared to ARM-based rivals, but Intel has worked hard to make sure the device is competitive.

Our test involved 12-hour usage, with one task completed each hour starting with a fully charged phone at 8am. The San Diego was set to push notifications, the screen was on full brightness and Wi-Fi was disabled. Under these conditions the San Diego lasted a respectable 11 hours and 10 minutes, just 10 minutes short of the HTC One S.

Of course battery life does depend on how you'll use your phone. As with many other smartphones, any lengthy screen-intensive work will drop the battery level fast. We noticed a swift drop once the 4.03in LCD screen was used to watch a 40 minute episode of a TV programme. However, the test does show that the 1460mAh battery will last a working day.

Business Use

The San Diego is one generation behind other Android devices in terms of the OS. Although the device is capable of providing core business features such as access to corporate email, it ships with just a couple of enterprise apps.

The most useful is the stripped down version of QuickOffice Pro. The light version allows you to view PDFs, but does not allow document, presentation or spreadsheet creation so its inclusion is primarily to entice users to upgrade to the Pro version. There's also a navigation tool in the form of Navigon, which users need to activate through an Orange World account.

Gestures are useful shortcuts and take minimal time to setup

Orange gestures are another unique feature which allow users to open apps by drawing a quick symbol on screen. If you send texts to a particular colleague or relative regularly you can assign a gesture which will launch a message with that person's contact details embedded. To text your boss, you could draw a box on screen, for example.

All the standard Google apps such as Gmail, which are found on other Android devices are included. This means you will have to download additional business applications from Google Play, but there is good news on that front.

At launch Intel was quoted as saying that 70 per cent of apps on the market would be compatible with the San Diego. However, the firm has since clarified a total of 95 per cent Android apps (70 per cent of Android NDK and 95 per cent of Android Dalvik) are compatible with Intel-based phones. This figure is comparable to other smartphones on the market, and is unlikely to mean you lose out on any major apps.

Build and FeaturesThe San Diego was based on Intel's reference design, and Orange has done little to alter this blueprint. The silver band wrapped around the chassis gives the handset a similar look to the iPhone 4S. The Intel-based device comes with a crisp 4.03in LCD display, which is made from Gorilla Glass so it will be able to withstand drops. It also packs an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video capture, and supports HD voice calls. All of this is appealing, especially for the pay-as-you-go price of 199.

Although the San Diego isn't as eye-catching as the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S3, it's still an attractive handset. The 117g weight makes the device easy to hold for long periods of time, so you can use it for long browsing sessions, for example.

The lack of a removable back cover means you cannot swap out the battery or add extra storage

The chassis' ports and buttons are placed logically: the phone lock button is on the top side alongside the phone's 3.5mm jack. The volume rocker resides on the top of the right edge, with the camera button the near the bottom. Between the two sits the SIM-card slot.

It's not possible to take off the non-slip rubber cover on the rear so you cannot switch the battery to prolong life. The lack of removable storage is another limitation, but 16GB should cater to the needs of most users. The lower side of the device sports a micro-USB port, and a mini-HDMI out can be found on the left side, which allows users to utilise the handset's smart 1080p video capture capability.

For function keys, Intel has opted for a quartet of Back, Menu, Home and Search. The rear of the device is home to an 8-megapixel camera, while a 1.3-megapixel camera is available for video calls. Both perform well enough and snaps taken with the 8-megapixel are sharp and well-focused, if lacking a little contrast.

OverallAs a first entrant to the smartphone market, the San Diego is respectable. Intel has managed to produce a presentable and punchy handset with battery life which compares to its rivals. Praiseworthy features include the large, sharp screen, snappy web browsing, good battery life and swift all round performance thanks to the scaled down x86 architecture.

For business users on a budget, the San Diego is tempting when compared to other devices such as the iPhone 4S and BlackBerry devices offered on the Orange business plan. The San Diego is free from 25 per month on a 24 month contract with 450 minutes, unlimited landline calls, 250 texts and mobile browsing.

Based on the same 25 per month contract, users would also have to fork over an upfront fee of 125 for a BlackBerry Bold 9900 or 141.66 for an iPhone 4S. Considering the San Diego is able to perform most if not all the functions offered by the competing RIM and Apple devices, it is excellent value.

IT Pro Verdict

Verdict

Intel has delivered a solid product in conjunction with Orange. The high performance is offered at a mid-range price and the battery life is up there with other Android. Even the lack of business apps can be fixed with a quick trip to the Android Market.

OS: Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread Processor: Intel Atom Z2460 Storage: 16GB non-expandable Screen: 4in (600 x 1024) Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, NFC, micro-USB, mini-HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack. Other: Accelerometer, GPS, A-GPS Bands: GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900. HSDPA 900, 2100 Camera: 8MP rear with LED flash and autofocus, 1.3MP front Battery: 1460mAh Size: 123 x 63 x 9.9mm Weight: 117g

Satellite broadcaster Sky has become the latest ISP to block access to torrent site The Pirate Bay.

The move follows in the footsteps of Virgin Media and Orange, who have also enforced court orders to prevent subscribers from accessing the site online.

The High Court of Justice in London imposed the court order on several ISPs last month, after the court ruled the website had infringed on the copyright of numerous movies and music.

In a statement, Sky said it had invested billions of pounds in high-quality entertainment for its customers, who value original content.

"It is therefore important that companies like ours do what they can, alongside the government and the rest of the media and technology industries, to help protect their copyright," the firm stated.

"Such protection makes sure that consumers continue to benefit from TV programmes, movies and music both now and in the future. This means taking effective action against online piracy and copyright infringement."

It is understood that BT will also comply with the ruling in the next few weeks. O2 and TalkTalk have until 13 June to comply with the order.

Once the order is carried out in full, around 94 per cent of UK internet users will be unable to access the infamous torrent site.

While the site still remains open, the Pirate Bay has become increasingly difficult for UK users to access in recent weeks.

However, the site has been busy telling users how to circumvent the block and access the site, using VPNs, proxies and different IP addresses that weren't part of the original court order.

Over the last year, the UK government has also been working on creating a voluntary code of practice between copyright holders and ISPs which would make censorship of the internet much more common.

Intel will launch its first UK smartphone in conjunction with Orange on the 6 June, as the chip-maker aims to break into the mobile device market dominated by ARM-based chips.

The Orange San Diego is based on the Intel reference design, which was debuted at CES in January. Orange has made some minor tweaks to it, but has retained the specifications.

Our single-core Atom processor is capable of out-performing many dual-core devices on the market.

The San Diego will ship with a 4.03in display with a 1024 x 600 resolution. This will be powered by an 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor. There will be 16GB of storage, an 8-megapixel camera with HD recording capabilities, HDMI output and NFC connectivity. A quick run of the Geekbench app measured 877MB of available RAM, but the benchmark did not run on the this device.

Battery life is also being touted as a strength - a feature Intel will need to nail if it is to be successful in this market. The firm is confident of providing all day usage, but it remains to be seen whether it can compete with the efficiency of ARM-based chips.

Despite the hardware looking promising, the device will launch with the dated Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. However, Graham Palmer, country manager for Intel told IT Pro an Ice Cream Sandwich update will be pushed out in October.

The release of the handset represents the first step Intel is taking to gain ground in the mobile market. Palmer said this is a long-term project and he is confident Intel will be able to provide high-end performance.

"Intel is working with operators and manufacturers to develop devices that perform. There will be more devices launching later this year, but it will be up to manufacturers [such as Motorola] as to which countries they will be made available," Palmer continued.

"Not all cores are equal, and we believe that our [single-core] Atom processor is capable of out-performing many dual-core devices on the market."

The handset will go on sale on 6 June, at a mid-range price point. Orange will offer the device for 199.99 for Pay as You Go customers, if they top up 10. They will also get 250MB of mobile data per month for 12 months at no extra cost.

Contract user will get the handset for free on a 24-month agreement starting from 15.50 a month. This promotion will be reviewed at the end of July and the base contract price may increase. The base tariff will include 50 any network call minutes, 50 texts, as well as 100MB of mobile data a month.

UK businesses want 4G services to be made available as soon as possible, according to a new study by network provider Everything Everywhere.

The report, carried out by research firm Coleman Parkes and commissioned by Everything Everywhere, found that 93 per cent of UK businesses want the technology deployed at the first available opportunity.

Ninety-four per cent of respondents also claimed the UK needs 4G networks to remain competitive and protect jobs.

Everything Everywhere is locked in a battle with other mobile providers over its plans to push ahead with its 4G rollout, ahead of schedule, by reusing spectrum it already has in the 1800MHz region.

Over 1,000 UK business decision makers took part in the research and 86 per cent of them believe access to 4G networks would increase their business productivity.

Nearly a third (29 per cent) of respondents said the ability to engage with customers and colleagues through mobile TV, video conferencing, and through CRM applications is the main benefit they expect from 4G.

Over half (52 per cent) cited greater levels of flexible working as another expected benefit of 4G. Meanwhile, 27 per cent of respondents said the ability to securely update and access documents in the cloud will benefit them most when 4G becomes available in the UK.

Brian O'Connor, group IS director of construction firm Morgan Sindall Group, said his company had several construction projects on the go at any time and a huge mobile workforce.

"For this reason, amongst others, we believe a usable 4G network would provide a major improvement to critical information flows within the construction industry," said O'Connor.

Martin Stiven, vice president of B2B at Everything Everywhere, said UK businesses need 4G networks to help them be more productive and compete on the international stage.

"Half of the countries on the G20 list of the world's biggest economies already have 4G, leaving British businesses at risk of falling behind rivals," he said.

Mobile operators Vodafone and Telefonica have hit out at Ofcom over plans to give rival Everything Everywhere a head start on 4G.

In a consultation report published by the regulator, Vodafone said the plans to allow Everything Everywhere a head start on 4G rollouts was "unjustifiable" and would seriously undermine competition in the UK.

Vodafone said that it "strongly believes" a competitive market in 4G services will bring long-term benefits to UK consumers.

"We would urge Ofcom to hold a full and fair spectrum auction as soon as possible, so that all operators can access the necessary spectrum for 4G," the firm added in its response.

The mobile operator highlighted three fundamental errors with liberalising Everything Everywhere's 1800 spectrum, and Telefonica, which owns O2 in the UK, said "Ofcom is wrong on all counts".

"The consequence of granting immediate liberalisation would be the creation of a monopoly provider of 4G national wholesale services for a period of at least 18 months and very likely substantially longer," Telefonica said in a statement.

Everything Everywhere, which owns the Orange and T-Mobile brands in the UK, said it should be allowed to proceed with plans and any advantage it has would be mitigated by an agreement to give up two 15MHz blocks in the 18000MHz spectrum. This, it said, was in line with European Commission commitments.

The company said it "wholly supports" Ofcom's intention to vary its licences for LTE, saying it should result in "considerable benefits" for end users.

"A failure to do so would not only be inconsistent with Ofcom's legal duties, but would also be of significant detriment to consumers and the wider UK economy," said the company.

"Any competitive advantage gained by Everything Everywhere would not endure beyond the point at which competitors are able to launch their own LTE services," it said.

"The consultation responses raise a number of detailed issues that Ofcom must now consider carefully," an Ofcom spokesman said in a statement. "We will publish a statement on the proposed variation as early as possible."

Mobile operators should pay to fix TV interference caused by the rollout of new 4G networks, claims Freeview.

Ilse Howling, managing director of Freeview, called for clarity on the support being offered to customers who may find their televisions go blank once 4G networks get switched on.

The UK 4G network will use frequencies freed up by the digital TV switchover, which recently caused some TV viewers to lose access to analogue channels.

European broadcasters have voiced concerns that 4G mobile phone masts and phones would interfere with digital television signals.

Around 2.3 million households in the UK risk losing TV signals because of 4G network interference. The government has pledged 180 million in funding to fix the problem.

Howling claims this figure is insufficient and pointed out that viewers would have to pay up to 200 million collectively to keep the TV service they currently have.

"We strongly believe that Freeview homes should not be subject to further inconvenience and additional cost to make way for mobile broadband," she said.

"The government has committed to recouping the cost of protecting viewers from interference, using proceeds from the 4G mobile auction. However, this will still leave viewers to bear a substantial proportion of the cost.

"The mobile phone operators will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this new service, and we believe they should pay to mitigate the television interference according to the 'polluter pays' principle," added Howling.

Freeview said the Government needs to revise its plans in three areas. First, customers in flats and other multiple dwelling units should not have to pay for the professional installation work needed to filter communal systems.

Second, customers with more than one TV should not pay for additional filters and, third, the elderly and other vulnerable people will need extra help to install them.

"Free, quality television is part of this nation's DNA. Almost 90 per cent of Freeview homes and 75 per cent of second set homes would be unhappy if Freeview were no longer available," said Howling.

"It is critically important that the government finds the best way to get both: protecting free TV and addressing the need for mobile broadband," she concluded.

Apple launched the iPad today and if you're considering buying the device there are a number of options available to you.

Of course with queues outside Apple Stores, it may be quicker and easier to get your hands on the device from another source. All the networks bar O2 are offering the subsidised versions of the 4G iPad.

Below is an overview of the deals available:

Three:

The biggest array of options are offered by Three, which also has the most generous allowances. You can grab a 16GB iPad for 25 a month if you sign a 24-month contract. This comes with a 15GB data allowance. The network will charge 159 upfront for tablet, which is reduced to 99 if you pay 29 per month.

Meanwhile, 30-day rolling contracts start at 7.50 per month for the 16GB model. This deals comes with 1GB of data allowance and the tablet costs 479 upfront. If you fork out 15 per month, Three will provide you with a 64GB iPad and a 10GB monthly allowance. The upfront cost is 629.

Vodafone:

Vodafone is also offering the new iPad on either a 30 day rolling contract or 24-month contract. The network offers 2GB of data and 1GB of BT Openzone in its tariff. If you go over your allowance, Vodafone will charge 15 per extra GB.

The 16GB 4G model is the cheapest with Vodafone charging 199 upfront if you sign up to a 24-month contract at 27 per month. The 64GB edition will cost 345 on the two-year plan at 27 per month.

If you choose to go with a 30 day rolling contract, you will be paying 7.50 per month, but the 16GB device will cost 499 upfront. If you choose to get the 64GB edition on the 30-day contract, Vodafone will charge 645. The estimated delivery time if you order on the website is two to three weeks.

Orange:

The network is offering users the chance to sign up to one contract and receive an iPhone and new iPad.

Customers can get the entry level version of the new iPad and iPhone 4S for free if they sign up to a 24-month deal, but it will cost 66 per month.

The tariff will include 600 mins of talk time, unlimited texts and unlimited BT Openzone Wi-Fi. However, users must share 2GB of mobile data across the iPhone and iPad.

For those just wanting the new iPad, prices start at 199 for the 16GB edition on 24-month contract at 25 per month. However, you must be an existing customer to get this deal.

New customers will be charged 229 for the entry level device. The monthly allowance comes with 1GB of anytime data, 1GB of Quiet Time' data (between Midnight and 4am) and unlimited BT Openzone Wi-Fi.

T-Mobile:

The price plans on offer are unsurprisingly very similar to sister network Orange.

Pricing starts at 199 for the 16GB edition if you sign a 24-month contract that charges 25 per month. Like Orange, you need to be an existing customer or you will be charged 229.

The tariff includes 1GB of anytime data, 1GB of Quiet Time' data (between Midnight and 4am). The cost rises to 249 if you opt for a 32GB edition (or 279 if you are a new customer). T-Mobile is not offering the 64GB version device.

High-street retailers such as Comet and PC World are also offering Wi-Fi and 4G tablets at the same price as Apple. Pricing starts at 399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only model.

COMMENT The first data shock is the deepest. At least that's how I feel following my first encounter with an unfeasibly high data bill.

Like any upstanding technology journalist, I regularly check my mobile bills, just to ensure there aren't any unaccountable charges. So when I saw a 33 charge for data in a month where I did not download any apps nor use the internet excessively, I was a tad baffled.

Thrust into this state of bewilderment, and with a face redder than Steve Ballmer on a bad day, I grabbed my mobile and dialed up Orange's minions demanding they tell me why they were going to suck away more of my measly funds than usual this January.

The customer service employee even agreed it wasn't particularly helpful practice.

What I learned was both infuriating and hugely concerning for Orange customers. Ironically, it is older, more loyal Orange customers who should be most anxious.

What had happened, I was duly informed, was that my contract had finished. This meant the data bundle was taken off of it, yet I was still on the same voice deal. Therefore my bill for just 257.2293MB of data stood at 33.20. In previous months data had cost me nothing. Already I was perturbed as to why this was the case.

Perhaps I should have kept on top of matters better, but at no point had I been warned this would happen. I had received no calls advising me to change contract, nor any guidance from Orange whatsoever on the issue. Maybe this pernicious little proviso is kept hidden in small print I should have read somewhere, but the fact that I was not forewarned is more than frustrating. It gets worse though.

I was told by the - admittedly very helpful - Orange customer service employee that people with older deals were not warned their contracts were coming to an end, nor were they told they would lose money-saving data bundles. Yet those with relatively new contracts (he didn't divulge exact dates) would get such a warning. Why is there a difference? Why punish older, possibly more loyal customers? I, nor Orange, appear to have much of an idea. Shocking. The customer service employee even agreed it wasn't particularly helpful practice.

I also understand T-Mobile, now part of the same company as Orange under the Everything Everywhere umbrella, does inform customers their contracts are close to their end. Bemusing, no?

Now, I have been promised 50 in credit. Yet I will still have to pay a 65.24 bill this month. For anyone who can just about live within their means, such a charge is incredibly irritating. It certainly makes my life harder this month, but I wonder how people who have even lower wages than myself or those who've recently been made redundant would feel if faced with similarly exasperating circumstances? At least it won't happen again in the future. To me, anyway...

At the time of publication, Orange's press team had not responded to a request for more information on my situation.

Oh and in case you didn't notice, Orange increased the cost of monthly plans by 4.34 per cent from 8 January. Good times.

UPDATE Orange have confirmed they do not forewarn customers that their contracts are coming to a close. The company said it had carried out research indicating customers preferred not to be bothered.

Strange then that T-Mobile lets customers know. Perhaps when Orange is no more and is fully part of Everything Everywhere it will change its position.

Orange said it was currently reviewing the matter, however, so changes could come sooner. The company is yet to confirm whether businesses are treated the same as consumers.

One wonders why Orange do not simply let the customer decide whether they want to be informed or not. If it did that, Orange would avoid upsetting certain curmudgeonly people like myself.

BT and Orange Business Services are to allow each others' customers to hold telepresence meetings with one another, using Cisco's TelePresence technology.

The service has already been trialled with a number of major enterprise partners and is available for BT and Orange Telepresence Community customers from today.

BT and Orange have already committed to breaking down the barriers between providers' networks. BT said it wanted to "enlarge the global telepresence community."

"This agreement is the latest addition to the expansion of the video industry's connectivity capabilities and is an important step forward," said Rich Lowe, CEO of BT Conferencing.

"It demonstrates our commitment to increasing the network of accessible telepresence locations for our customers and increasing the return on their investments."

Customers will have to contact their provider to learn about using the inter-company service and there will be no additional cost, as their contracts will remain with the same vendor.

"The broader the range of companies that customers can connect with through telepresence, the higher the return on investment in collaborative technology," added Andrew McFadzen, head of international network solutions at Orange Business Services.

Orange and T-Mobile customers will soon be able to take advantage of faster web connectivity and data downloads thanks to the two companies sharing 3G network access.

The move, which comes into effect from next week, is part of parent company Everything Everywhere's "big switch-on" which has already seen the two make use of shared 2G signals to enable users to call and text in more locations than before.

Soon, more people will be accessing the internet on their mobile devices than on their PCs, and that means we need the right kind of networks in place to deliver the right kind of experience for our customers.

The roll-out will take place on a region by region basis over the coming months. Importantly, charges will remain the same for customers, rather than trying to split use between the two networks.

Everything Everywhere claims the shared network access is already proving a hit among users, with 41 million hours of calls being made and five billion extra texts sent since October 2010 - all taking advantage of access to the sister company's 2G signal.

"This is a significant achievement and demonstrates the latest milestone in our network vision and customer promise - to provide more things, to more people in more places than any other company in Britain," said Olaf Swantee, Everything Everywhere's chief executive.

"Customers are always on the move and demanding instant access to information wherever they are. Not only will customers be able to talk in places they weren't able to before, they'll also now be able to access the internet, social networks or download emails at improved speeds, in more places."

Last week Everything Everywhere teamed up with BT Wholesale to kick off a 4G trial in Cornwall.

The trial will involve some 200 local people - 100 testing mobile broadband and the other 100 focused on fixed-wireless - using 10MHz of test 800MHz spectrum. Testing will go on until early 2012.

"Soon, more people will be accessing the internet on their mobile devices than on their PCs, and that means we need the right kind of networks in place to deliver the right kind of experience for our customers," added Swantee.

"This next generation mobile network will allow individuals and businesses across Britain to access the people, places and things they want, wherever they are, whenever they want."

Everything Everywhere has announced changes to its managament structure - the first tweaks under new chief executive Olaf Swantee's reign.

A team of 10 executives will report in to the CEO who was appointed to the role earlier in the year when Tom Alexander resigned.

Alexander had been CEO of Orange since 2008, before taking charge of the merger with T-Mobile in July 2010.

"The leadership team I'm announcing today draws from the existing talent within Everything Everywhere as well as bringing in some new faces with broad-ranging, international expertise," Swantee said.

"The structure of the team is function oriented with clear accountability so we can accelerate the execution of our key plans and priorities. I am committed to the established business goals and financial targets as well as to running a responsible and sustainable business."

The new lineup includes some new faces, but will see some senior employees leave the company too. Those departing include former deputy chief executive and chief financial officer Richard Moat and chief commercial officer Ian Pitcher.

"We would like to congratulate Olaf on his new appointment and wish him and his new management team all the best of success for the future. At the same time we would also like to thank Richard Moat for the role that he played as CFO and deputy CEO for Everything Everywhere," the company said in a statement.

"Richard was a highly valued member of the former management team and was instrumental in ensuring a rapid integration between Orange and T-Mobile, as well as reaching synergy savings ahead of time. We wish him all the best for the future."

Everything Everywhere will be pleased with an Ofcom customer service poll, which ranked T-Mobile top and Orange in third.

T-Mobile received a satisfaction score of 72 per cent, with only nine per cent of those surveyed by Ofcom saying they were dissatisfied. Orange achieved 70 per cent satisfaction and 12 per cent dissatisfaction.

O2 was in second, equaling T-Mobile's satisfaction score, but 11 per cent were not happy with the company's customer service.

At the bottom of the pile of major mobile providers, 3 produced a satisfaction rating of 63 per cent, according to the Ofcom survey, carried out in February.

More of 3's customers contacted the company over the research period than any other. The company also had a higher proportion of complaints and fault issues than average.

However, of the top six providers, Vodafone ranked the highest dissatisfaction score, despite improving on satisfaction levels since 2009.

Vodafone said it had been working on a number of projects to turn the dissatisfaction around.

"Since this report, which was compiled almost six months ago, we have focused on areas which customers have told us they consider to be key, such as ensuring all queries are resolved with just one phone call. We have also implemented a new training programme for our customer care," a Vodafone spokesperson said.

"Staff which will further improve their knowledge and capability and ensure our customers will receive an even better service on the UK's best network."

Broadband results

Orange can also be happy with itself for broadband provision, achieving satisfaction scores notably higher than its rivals.

Over three quarters of customers said they were happy with customer service. In second place was Sky, with a 60 per cent satisfaction rating, followed by BT on 57 per cent.

TalkTalk was bottom of the top five, with the worst dissatisfaction rating of 23 per cent.

Changes in the law coming into force on Friday should help improve customers service from communications providers.

If a complaint remains unresolved after eight weeks, customers will have the right to go to a free, independent, Ofcom-approved resolution service, such as the Ombudsman Service.

Providers will be forced to inform those who have not had their complaint handled in that time about their new rights.

BT said it had already made moves to comply with the new rules.

"To comply with Ofcom's new rules, we have already revised and published our Complaints Code of Practice separately on bt.com, changed the wording on the back of our bills and given our advisers additional training," a spokesperson said.

Chief executive (CEO) of Everything Everywhere Tom Alexander has resigned citing "personal reasons," just over a year after the merger between Orange and T-Mobile.

Olaf Swantee, current executive vice president in Europe for France Telecom and Everything Everywhere board member, will replace Alexander.

Alexander will stay on as an Everything Everywhere adviser and assist Swantee with the transition into the CEO position.

Alexander will leave the provider completely at the end of the year.

"There is never an easy time to leave a company that you care deeply for but, for personal reasons, I feel now is a good moment to step back," Alexander said.

"I'm proud of what we've accomplished: we conducted a rapid integration of the new company, completing a companywide restructuring, and maintained good commercial momentum throughout, delivering record retention levels and growth on our contract customer base across both brands."

Alexander joined Orange in 2008 as CEO of the UK arm, before being placed in charge of Everything Everywhere on 1 July 2010.

Swantee has had plenty of IT experience, having held senior roles at HP and Compaq.

"Olaf Swantee has a deep knowledge of Everything Everywhere's business and has been a director on the Board of the company since its very beginning, and is ideally placed to provide both continuity and progression," said Tim Hottges, chairman of Everything Everywhere's noard and chief financial officer of Deutsche Telekom.

"He has the strong support of both parent companies, with his extensive European-wide mobile experience, and was recently instrumental in the forming of the Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom Globall Procurement Alliance."

Everything Everywhere is reportedly going to lose another key staff member soon.

Phil Robertson, the man in charge of the companies' device division, is thought to be moving over to HTC, the Independent reported.

Every day, thousands of commuters use near field communications (NFC), although most may never realise it.

NFC is at the heart of London's Oyster card, is already built in to many Visa debit cards, and is being used to pay for small-value transactions from Spain to Hong Kong.

And recent developments, especially from the mobile phone manufacturers, are making NFC even more mainstream. Google Wallet, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and the Google Nexus S all feature NFC. There are strong rumours that NFC might be built into the iPhone 5, when it comes out later this year. And NFC is set to be included into other devices, including tablets and even smart TVs. The market could be worth $670 billion - 420 billion by 2015.

The technology behind NFC is not actually that new. But the way that developers, manufacturers, enterprises and, importantly, marketing executives is changing.

At its core, NFC is about contactless data transfer to and from devices. This has a number of applications. The most common is payment, using a phone as a debit or credit card by touching it to NFC readers at tills or pay points. But it has wider uses.

"We've been talking about payment and transit but that's not the only thing NFC brings to the table," says Charles Dachs, director of product management for mobile transactions at NXP, a developer of NFC technology.

Cashing in on cashless

"Essentially we talk about NFC in three ways: replacing the cards in your wallet, discovering content using your phone as a content reader, and peer-to-peer a device-to-device exchange of information."

As an example, NFC could be used to link Bluetooth devices to peripherals like headsets. A phone could be synchronised to a headset just by physically "bumping" them together.

Certainly this kind of functionality would be very attractive for consumers, but businesses might need greater incentives to adopt NFC. Dachs believes this lies in the content reader and peer-to-peer elements of the technology.

"It's about more than just using your phone as a card, it can provide a much richer experience with targeted marketing and direct marketing," he says.

The most obvious marketing application is in digital coupons from purchases, or NFC readable posters. Vouchers would be redeemable on a consumer's phone.

According to Dachs, part of NFC's potential lies in making marketing methods more comfortable and less intrusive for the consumer and, in turn, making them more effective for businesses to deploy. No-one likes marketing emails and spam, but directly interacting with advertising in our daily lives might be more fruitful for both sides.

Another appeal for marketers is the low cost of deployment: "It doesn't need to be point of sale. Contactless tags and stickers cost literally pennies," says Dachs. Marketers could, he suggests, try mass deployments of interactive content in magazines and posters, and hope for a good return for a minimal investment.

NFC usage could also grow organically, with manufacturers such as RIM putting out NFC capable handsets and the relevant application programming interfaces (APIs) for developers. As NFC supports direct "bumping" of data between handsets, popular apps could spread "virally" between users. In turn, this could cement the appeal of NFC with marketers and developers.

More, though, needs to be done to make NFC a mainstream business tool.

According to Rob Bamforth, analyst for Quocirca NFC has potential as a payment method. But "doing something useful" with the technology in business processes and transactions will remain "one of the hardest parts."

"It's not so much the technology itself but how you get it to the right level of ubiquity and ensure that the commercial elements are lined up," he says. "Standardisation is a definite requirement."

The take up of NFC is also likely to grow, Bamforth believes, if the technology reducing the risk and operational costs of transactions is a major factor in Bamforth's view.

"It has to be lower transaction costs," he says. "It's no good if it's the same fees [as credit cards] to Visa or the banks and so on, it needs to have a reduced cost per transaction."

In recent years the average value of credit card transactions has fallen. Consumers are making lower-end purchases with their credit cards, and this is something merchants and banks would rather avoid. NFC payments could fill that gap, leaving credit cards for original use, as a way of paying for more expensive goods and services.

One positive aspect of NFC for retailers is support for automated audit and fraud components. Payment activity via NFC can be fully audited, managed and controlled digitally. Having an audit system that is more economical and accountable through automation will certainly appeal to businesses.

"NFC is only a way of connecting the end part of the process," says Bamforth. "What's important is how the technology interfaces with a business process and how it can alleviate the more costly and fiddly elements".

"It needs to be universal," he adds. "The last thing we want in NFC is separation into systems that don't worth with each other."

Counting the cost

In terms of investment, the upfront costs to businesses of NFC could be relatively small; more modern point-of-sale systems, for example, often already support NFC.

"The big [cost] element is the back-end systems, the IT processes and process handling," says Bamforth. "In reality the [financial] impact is more in the infrastructure network."

However, Dachs suggests much of the infrastructure groundwork had already been done.

"There's a legacy infrastructure for transit which is widely deployed," he says. "Banking is then the easiest one, the infrastructure deployed is completely standardised through Visa, Mastercard and so on, and NFC is established as part of that."

"Some merchants in the US, such as McDonalds, have contactless payment machines already and can use exactly the same models for NFC. The majority are hardware ready," he says.

Dachs points out that software upgrades might need some investment but overall, the costs for most businesses will be minimal.

Even so, the fringe nature of NFC could still act as a deterrent for businesses. To succeed, the component parts of NFC need to come together in a cohesive and usable way.

At Quocirca, Rob Bamforth believes that the different groups interested in NFC need to do more to move in step. "I must admit, I thought we'd be further on by now," he says.

Dachs agrees that for NFC to succeed, it still needs more effort. But he is optimistic about the current level of interest and investment in NFC technologies.

"First there are the manufacturers such as RIM, Nokia, Samsung, and Google. There is no manufacturer that is not looking at this technology," he says.

"With network operators it's the same thing." Orange, for example, has been promoting NFC across Europe including in the UK, as has Telefonica, the parent company of o2. O2 also has plans for the UK market.

"The UK NFC infrastructure is growing for payment," says Dachs. And he believes convincing end-users should not be a problem.

"It's very easy to educate the consumer to use their phones for payment," he suggests. But the longer-term success of NFC will depend on its adoption at the enterprise level.

Orange has found another way of enticing Apple fans to its network by offering them a joint iPad 2 and iPhone 4 deal.

By paying 99 upfront, existing customers can get a 16GB iPhone 4 and 16GB iPad 2 on a 65 per month contract.

Known as the Connected' plan, users will be entitled to 600 minutes, unlimited texts, BT Openzone Wi-Fi and a 2GB data allowance for the two devices combined.

If a customer has more money to spend on the outset though, they can up the capacity of the phone and tablet, as shown in the table below:

However, for those not with Orange already, an extra 50 will be charged.

The minimum term for the contract is two years, meaning even the lowest tariff would cost a non-Orange customer over 1,700 across the 24 months.

As pricey as it may seem though, the deal still works out cheaper than separate contracts.

The deal is only available over the phone or in-store for now.

Apple is set to announce the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 5, on Monday. Check out our hopes and dreams for features on the new software here.

The first contactless mobile payments service has reached the UK, thanks to a partnership between Orange and Barclaycard.

Quick Tap is based on Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, allowing consumers to buy products by touching their mobile phones on readers. However, it will only be valid for purchases of 15 or under.

The mobile app will be usable in over 50,000 stores which accept contactless payments, including McDonalds, Pret a Manger and Wembley Arena.

Users with an NFC enabled device can transfer up to 100 over to the app, as long as they have Orange and Barclaycard accounts.

It's going to start a revolution in the way we pay for things on the high street.

David Chan, chief executive (CEO) of Barclaycard Consumer Europe, assured users the mobile wallet technology was a secure service.

"This is the first time that customers can use their mobile to pay for goods and services in shops across the UK, rather than using cards or cash," Chan said.

"They'll be able to do this, safe in the knowledge that this is a secure technology brought to them by the biggest names in payments and mobile technology."

Users are able to enter a PIN on their handset before each transaction, whilst the fact mobile payments are processed online ensures no transactions can be completed if a customer cancels their phone.

Electronic statements will also be stored within the app, detailing Quick Tap purchases.

"Orange Quick Tap is the first of its kind; a service that allows you to pay for everyday items just by tapping your phone wherever you see the contactless payment symbol," said Orange vice president Pippa Dunn.

"It's going to start a revolution in the way we pay for things on the high street."

An exciting market

Orange has become the first communications provider to offer a mobile wallet in the UK, beating competitors like O2, which announced plans for a contactless payments service in February.

The nascent market looks set for take-off, given the excitement surrounding the technology.

A YouGov survey, conducted on behalf of Intelligent Environments, discovered 42 per cent of smartphone users wanted to use their mobiles to shop.

iPhone users were found to be the most keen to use their phone as a wallet, with 56 per cent wanting the service.

"This initiative by Orange is the tip of the iceberg coming into view the technology exists now to really change the way we live from ordering travel tickets to collecting benefits and even taking out library books, it can all happen from the same chip in your mobile phone," said David Burdett, managing director of payment technology firm Ecebs.

"The really exciting aspect of this launch is not what can happen now, but what it will lead to in the near future. The danger is that we focus on the tip of the iceberg, and ignore what's lurking under the surface."

Everything Everywhere, the company created by the merger of Orange and T-Mobile, has revealed 1.6 per cent revenue growth, despite what the company describes as "challenging economic conditions."

In its report for the first financial quarter of 2011, the company also claimed it increased its customer base by 160,000 post-paid customers as part of a strategy to "migrate prepaid customers to higher-value contract propositions," bringing its total customer count to 27.7 million.

Tom Alexander, chief executive (CEO) of Everything Everywhere, said: "Since announcing our strategy just six months ago, we are progressing well and have significant momentum, specifically through our creation of the UK's first super-network."

"We remain fully confident of achieving our commercial and financial ambitions."

Alexander said the outlook going forward for the company was good.

"The proportion of contract customers against pre-paid is up from 41 per cent last year to 45 per cent at the end of the quarter," he added.

Everything Everywhere claimed the year-on-year growth was due to an increased contract customer base in both the Orange and T-Mobile brands. The company also reported progress had been made in integrating the two businesses and plans were ahead of schedule.

Its 2G network coverage has now been extended to over 15 million customers in the first quarter and plans for 3G to follow are in the making.

Alexander gave some indication of how Everything Everywhere's strategy would continue on the back of this success, adding: "As the industry and market dynamics evolve, our customer marketing will be increasingly characterised by retention and improving customer loyalty."

O2 has confirmed it will not sell the iPad 2, but it will be offering tariffs for the soon-to-be-released Apple device.

"Although we will not be selling iPad 2 with subsidy, O2 micro-sims with our great value iPad tariffs are still available for customers who have purchased the device elsewhere," an O2 spokesperson said.

So far, the only confirmed iPad 2 seller is Orange and T-Mobile's joint venture Everything Everywhere.

"We can confirm that Everything Everywhere plans to offer the iPad 2 when it is made available later this month on both Orange UK and T-Mobile UK," an Everything Everywhere spokesperson said.

"More details will be announced in due course."

At the time of publication, neither Vodafone nor 3 had confirmed whether they would be pushing the iPad 2.

Elsewhere, Apple has decided to cut the price of the original iPad by 100 on its website, with a note to say the deal is only whilst stocks last.

The cheapest version of the iPad 1 can now be snapped up for 329.

Apple announced the latest iteration of the iPad yesterday as well as iOS 4.3, which will be released in a week's time.

Head to herefor our First Look review of the iPad 2, and here for our First Look video.

For even more iPad 2 action, also see our iPad Need to Know feature.

Everything Everywhere has reported its first financial results, leaving investors with a mixed bag to deal with.

Revenues for the nine month period reported, ending on 31 December 2010, were 5.3 billion a decrease of two per cent year on year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) also fell, but more significantly, by 22 per cent to 837 million.

The company formed by the merger of Orange and T-Mobile did manage to pick up a raft of new contract customers though. Numbers were up 33 per cent compared to the same period in 2009, equating to 752,000 new customers.

That said, pre-pay customer numbers fell significantly, with 187,000 jumping ship in just the last three months of 2010.

Shareholders were kept happy as a 646 million dividend was paid out to members of parent companies, Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom.

Tom Alexander, chief executive (CEO) of Everything Everywhere, remained positive, claiming 2010 had been a "year of achievement" for the merged firm.

"Despite continued regulatory and competitive pressures it has been a strong end to the year with T-Mobile showing a greatly improved performance with its strongest growth for over two years," he said.

"Our continued cost management has allowed us to invest in contract customer growth across both brands."

The chief financial officer (CFO) of Everything Everywehere, Richard Moat, last week told delegates at Mobile World Congress the merger was set to boost the UK economy thanks to a 2.5 billion investment in networks and IT.

The mobile industry has joined together in an attempt to push forward near field communications (NFC) technology, but the regions to benefit still remain a mystery.

NFC is used for mobile payments and is already present in London's Oyster Cards and select credit cards.

It is now making its mark in the mobile space, with the likes of Orange and BarclayCard confirming the launch of an NFC-enabled mobile handset this summer.

An announcement from the GSM Association (GSMA) also listed Vodafone amongst a number of international providers including Deutsche Telekom and China Unicom as companies who had made a commitment to launch NFC services in "select markets" by 2012.

However, when IT PRO asked which markets, the GSMA said it had not been given permission by the providers to share that information.

Franco Bernab, chairman of the GSMA and chief executive of Telecom Italia, said: "NFC represents an important innovation opportunity, and will facilitate a wide range of interesting services and applications for consumers, such as mobile ticketing, mobile couponing, the exchange of information and content, control access to cars, homes, hotels, offices car parks and much more."

Last week at Mobile World Congress, 3 confirmed to IT PRO it was also working together with its rivals to bring NFC to the market.

"NFC is starting to get a lot of traction," said Charlotte Blanchard, director of products and services at 3.

"Operators are all behind it [and] we are starting to see manufacturers behind it as well. It feels like all the pieces are coming together."

The UK economy is set for a much needed boost, according to a senior executive of the biggest phone operator on our shores.

Richard Moat, chief financial officer (CFO) of Everything Everywhere the holding title of the Orange and T-Mobile merger claimed his company's investment into networking and IT was set to give a cash injection to a region which suffered heavily during the economic downturn.

"The deal will be good for the UK economy as we will invest 2.5 billion over the next five years in networks and IT," he said during a presentation at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Moat continued by praising the attitudes towards investment in the UK when compared to elsewhere in the world.

"The UK [is] one of the few regions where there is continuing significant investments, aggressive investments, in networks and IT," he said. "A lot of other countries have drawn back because of the impact of the recession"

UK retention champion'

However, despite these positive comments, Moat acknowledged there were things his company needed to work on and the number one priority was customer retention.

"Above all we want to increase retention and loyalty," he said. "We have not been the best, either individually or together, in terms of churn in the UK market but we have made significant pathways into this over the last 12 months, in fact, and that is continuing as we move forward into 2011.

He proclaimed Everything Everywhere wanted to be known as the "UK retention champion" and it would work hard until it achieved such a goal.

What colour is the future?

There has been a lot of negative press surrounding the not-so-catchy name of the merged companies, but the CFO claimed Everything Everywhere was by no means set in stone.

"We got two great brands, Orange and T-Mobile and at the moment we are continuing to run them together in the market," said Moat. "A lot of people thought that maybe we would put it straight away into the same brand but operators who are at that sort of level of market share have two or multiple brands they are using."

He said with Orange aimed at the "mass premium" market and T-Mobile at the lower end things were working well, but the shareholders had only given them until October to figure out the brand strategy.

Moat concluded by saying that Everything Everywhere might remain the brand name but no decisions had been made as yet.

O2 plans to introduce a so-called mobile wallet, using near field communications (NFC) to make payments.

The communications operator is planning to apply for an e-money licence from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) so it can start offering the NFC technology.

It is believed O2 will bring out its mobile wallet app in the second half of 2011.

An O2 spokesperson said the company would give full details nearer the time, but revealed it planned to offer a range of services as part of this, including mobile payments, person-to-person money transfer and airtime top ups.

They said O2 will be making a number of moves to prepare for the launch.

"Firstly we are recruiting a number of financial services experts to the O2 Money team," the spokesperson said.

"Secondly we will be partnering with specialised payments and processing partners. And thirdly we will be submitting an application for an e-money license which will allow us to hold funds on our customers' behalves and facilitate payments."

The news comes shortly after Everything Everywhere the Orange and T-Mobile partnership announced its own NFC-enabled SIM cards in a deal with Barclaycard.

The Google Nexus S features an integrated NFC chip, making it one of the only smartphones to feature such technology.

Apple's next iPhone is widely expected to feature NFC technology as well.

Orange has launched new deals aimed at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), allowing them to route calls made to a landline through to worker mobiles.

The Pocket Landline deals have been set up to ensure SMBs never miss customer calls, Orange said.

Even when calls to mobiles are missed, voicemails and emails can be stored as MP3 files to be listened to at a more convenient time.

Orange has made four different packages available, with a starting price of 15 per month.

The lowest-price offering allows one Pocket Landline number to be routed to the user's existing Orange business mobile.

Another option allows the customer to have numerous landlines linked to one mobile, at a cost of 15 per landline number.

Companies happy to pay out 30 a month get to have one landline rerouted to as many as 10 mobiles.

"With Pocket Landline, businesses will never have to miss another call from customers just because they're on the move," said Martin Lyne, SME marketing director at Everything Everywhere.

"The fixed number could help increase credibility and local presence, while the easily scalable packages mean that your Pocket Landline service can expand with the business."

A Gartner report has indicated telecoms equipment will be an area of decent growth in 2011, with an expected spending rise of 9.1 per cent.

Overall, IT spending will increase by 5.1 per cent this year, according to Gartner.

Mobile operator 3 has introduced an updated plan without any data cap, designed to ease customers fears around web use on the go.

The "all-you-can-eat" data offering has been added to 3's One Plan and means users should not get hit by any unexpected charges for using the web on their mobiles.

"We expect to see more people using mobiles than PCs to access the internet by 2015," said 3 sales and marketing director Marc Allera.

"All-you-can-eat data is designed to remove the possibility of bill shock when you use data, so you can use your smartphone to do everything it was designed for without the worry of cost."

The One Plan now includes 2,000 any-network minutes, 5,000 3-to-3 minutes, 5,000 texts and uncapped data from 25 a month.

"At 3 we've built a network with the scale and scope to meet people's data needs both now and into the future - and with more and more customers choosing to opt for next generation smartphones, this will prove more important than ever," Allera added.

The concept of unlimited data allowances has been a topic of much debate this year. O2 decided to scrap its uncapped mobile data deals earlier in the year, as did 3 when it opened up The One Plan.

The original plan was launched earlier this year, claiming it was a "game changer," offering users 1GB of data and the option of buying additional data on a per MB basis.

Despite operators ending unlimited data deals, most users do not go over their allowances, whatever they may be.

Vodafone declined to comment on 3's uncapped data allowance, whilst Orange had not offered a response at the time of publication.

3 has today revealed new deals for customers wanting to get hold of an iPad.

Apple's flagship tablet device will now be available from the mobile provider for as little as 199, but customers need to stump up for a two year 25 per month contract to get the discounted price.

This means, overall, a customer would end up paying 799 for the 16GB version, instead of the 529 it costs to buy the device up front from Apple's online store.

For the same contract price, 3 is also offering the 32GB version for 249 and the 64GB for 349. This includes a 15GB data allowance.

For those who want to opt for pay as you go contracts, customers have the choice of one month rolling contracts at 7.50 a month for 1GB or 15 for 10GB, or 1GB for 30 days at 10 and 3GB for 30 days at 20.

The new pricing structure is similar to Orange's, which announced its new tariffs earlier this week. However, Orange is charging 27 for new customers and 25 for existing users rather than the flat 25 on offer from 3.

Orange has confirmed a drop in price for customers to get their hands on an iPad.

The company revealed last week it would be releasing new deals onto the market, but kept the prices hidden.

Now it has confirmed the flagship tablet device from Apple could be purchased for 199 for the 16GB model, 249 for the 32GB and 349 for the 64GB.

However, users will be trapped in a 24 month contract, offering 1GB anytime data, 1GB quiet time' data between midnight and 4am and up to 3GB of BT OpenZone Wi-Fi.

The monthly contract cost will come in at 25 for existing Orange customers or 27 for those new to the provider.

It is expected this deal will also become available on T-Mobile as the two companies have signed on the dotted line to merge and are currently working on strategies to combine the firms' offerings.

The iPad has roared to success since its launch in May, dominating the tablet market. However, this week saw Gartner analyst Ranjit Atwal blame the device for a revised forecast of PC shipments for the year, down from 17.9 per cent to 14 per cent.

"These results reflect marked reductions in expected near-term unit growth based on expectations of weaker consumer demand, due in no small part to growing user interest in media tablets such as the iPad," said Atwal.

"Over the longer term, media tablets are expected to displace around 10 per cent of PC units by 2014."

Apple's market dominating tablet device the iPad can now update to the latest version of the mobile operating system, the company has confirmed.

As of today, users can download the iOS 4.2 update via iTunes for free and will get a number of new features in return.

The main highlight will be the ability to multi-task on the iPad, something iPhone users didn't get until the release of the iPhone 4.

There will also be the ability to make folders, the introduction of both AirPrint and AirPlay wireless printing and streaming capabilities and the inclusion of Find My iPhone,' which claims to allow users to locate a lost device.

Today also saw Orange and T-Mobile announce new tariffs were on their way for customers yet to get their hands on the popular device.

The two companies, who recently began to merge as new brand Everything Everywhere, confirmed on their separate websites "new purchase options for iPad users, including more affordable prices when purchased with a data service plan, for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G models [would be available] in the coming months."

They have yet to confirm what the price plans would be, but rumours are suggesting it could cost as little as 200 for a 24 month contract.

Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft's brand new smartphone operating system and we've already taken a look at its most significant business features , as well as how it compares against other smartphone operating systems. It will be appearing on five handsets in the UK initially, with more to come in the near future. The HTC 7 Mozart is one of the first five and is available exclusively on Orange on a 24 month contract at 35 a month inc VAT.

We spent some time with a preview version of the HTC 7 Mozart. The firmware on our phone was not quite final, and so we weren't able to giving it a thorough testing. However we were able to get a good idea of how the handset feels and how Windows Phone 7 stacks up.

The HTC 7 Mozart is a good looking smartphone. Like many Apple products, its aluminium chassis is crafted out of a single piece of metal, so it looks sleek and feels robust. A small cover on the back slides away so that you can get to the battery and SIM card.

Like the rest of the UK launch range of Windows Phone 7 models, the Mozart doesn't have a microSD memory card slot. You'll therefore have to be content with the 8GB of built-in storage for apps and media content.

Although some American Windows Phone 7 models do have microSD slots, Microsoft has placed some interesting limitations on its usage. Windows Phone 7 basically merges onboard storage and memory card storage into a single virtual pool of storage. Adding a new memory card would erase this pool and create a new one, so you'd have to ensure you have a backup of your data before adding a new card.

Microsoft's minimum hardware requirements for Windows Phone 7 handsets stipulate a five-megapixel flash-equipped camera. The Mozart meets and exceeds this requirement with an eight megapixel camera and Xenon flash features not found on any other Windows Phone 7 device.

The capacitive touchscreen is large, clear and bright. It supports multitouch gestures, such as pinch to zoom. This is very useful when visiting web sites and is one of the things that sets a modern smartphone apart from older, less capable models. The 800 x 480 pixel resolution isn't the largest available on a smartphone, but it's still noticeably more roomy compared to the cramped 320 x 240 resolutions of many budget Android phones.

Unfortunately, Windows Phone 7 currently lacks support for copy and paste which be a significant blow for productivity. Windows Phone 7 integrates with SharePoint 2010 so that copies of documents can be stored locally, edited and updated, and copy and paste would be a useful feature to see here as well as in mobile email. At least it is coming in the first major revision to Windows Phone 7, which is due early next year.

There's no physical keyboard on the Mozart, so you'll have to use the touchscreen keyboard. We find it comfortable to use, both when oriented horizontally and vertically. It is unlikely you'll want to create long documents using the keyboard in either tall or wide mode, but the accuracy levels, even on the small keyboard you get in portrait screen mode, are high.

Even if you don't type out every word correctly, the in-line spell checker familiar to users of Microsoft Word on the desktop is present so you can easily correct misspelled words. A red wavy line sits under words the phone thinks is spelled incorrectly. You just tap an underlined word to see alternative spellings in a row of words above the keyboard, and tap the one you want to use. The system helps increase typing speed.

Documents can transferred to the Mozart using either a SharePoint server, a Windows Live SkyDrive or as a simple email attachment. It choked on documents in the .rtf format, failing to open them, although this may be due to the late beta firmware.

Excel spreadsheets and Word documents with embedded graphics were rendered almost perfectly. We were able to use pinch to zoom to get a closer look, and finger panning around a document was smooth. We embedded edits into documents, including new points to bulleted lists, and round tripped them with no problems.

The home screen is dominated by Tiles. These large icons show automatically updated data. For example tiles representing email accounts give an indication of the number of unread messages and the Calendar tile can display information about upcoming appointments. You also get upcoming calendar event and unread email notifications on the lock screen. This helps you access information quickly and simply. You can add, remove, and reorder Tiles simply by pressing, holding and dragging them.

As you move around between these Tiles and within applications there are animated transitions. For example, reorienting the phone between portrait and landscape mode when viewing a document or web site, triggers an eye-catching movement animation rather just a swift reorientation. It's more elaborate than similar transition animations on iOS or Android. It animates smoothly and is fun to look at initially, but we found it got a little tedious after a while.

Unlike Android, Windows Phone 7 can't be skinned. However both HTC and Orange have added some features of their own. The HTC Hub gives you access to a weather app, photo manipulator and notes tool, but the process of launching the hub involves a somewhat tedious animation of clouds appearing on screen before a location aware weather and time display opens up. We aren't too sure we'd bother with it very often in the real world.

Orange has added its own Orange Wednesdays app. There's also an Orange Daily app which is a combined RSS newsreader and Twitter feed reader. The Orange Maps was non-functional, display a coming soon' error message. We'll be interested to see how it compares against Microsoft's own Bing Maps.

Our sneak peek at Windows Phone 7 on the HTC 7 Mozart indicates that it has potential but also some irritations. We aren't sure Microsoft has made the right decision in fixing the amount of internal memory. Smaller businesses without an Exchange server will be disappointed to find that there's no desktop synchronisation tool for Outlook. They will therefore have to upload Outlook data into the cloud via Windows Live, and sync it over the air from there. This is especially puzzling since Microsoft's Zune desktop software will synchronise music, video, pictures and podcasts locally over a USB cable.

Verdict

As we'd expect from HTC, the Mozart looks and feels lovely. While Windows Phone 7 is off to a good start and is full of promise, one thing is certain. Adding copy and paste in the planned early 2011 software update is just the beginning - Microsoft still has a lot of work to do.

Connectivity: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, 3G 900/2100 Display: 480 x 800 pixels, 3.7in OS: Windows Phone 7 Camera: eight megapixels GPS: GPS Processor: 1GHz Bluetooth: v2.1 + EDR Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n Dimensions: 119 x 60.2 x 11.9 mm Weight: 130g Battery: Li-Ion 1300 mAh

Today saw the merger of Orange and T-Mobile take the next step as its customers can now access both networks.

The newly formed company, called Everything Everywhere, now provides mobile network access to 27 million people in the UK and dominates with market share.

Whilst customers will need to register online to access the previous rival network, the extra coverage will be available for free and no changes to user's tariffs will be needed.

Tom Alexander, chief executive (CEO) of Everything Everywhere, said: "Today's switch-on is the culmination of a unique and hugely complex technical project. But the result is simple our customers now get two networks for the price of one."

"That means 27 million consumers can now keep close to the people, places and things that matter to them in more places than ever before. This is the first step in our vision of giving our customers instant access to whatever they want, wherever they are instant access to everything, everywhere."

At the moment, it is only the network for voice and text being shared, but the plan is to extend this to 2G, 3G and Wi-Fi connections in the future. The company has also claimed next year will see customers able to choose between T-Mobile and Orange's coverage for whichever offers them the strongest signal.

If you are a T-Mobile customer and want to register, click here, for Orange customers, click here.

Orange Business Services has formed an alliance with Cisco, EMC and VMware to offer private cloud computing services.

Called Flexible 4 Business (F4B), the service will deliver pay-per-use managed cloud services based on technologies from the four partners, with Orange fronting as the service provider.

The cloud services portfolio will initially be composed of infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) provisioning. IaaS will be the main offering of a private cloud configuration with a back-up service and SaaS will add security, based on RSA Security technologies, anti-malware protection, plus unified communications services.

The alliance said it would help customers transfer to cloud computing and gain flexibility, cost reduction and business performance optimisation.

The F4B services will be based on Vblock Infrastructure Packages. These are integrated, validated, and "ready-to-grow" cloud infrastructure building blocks developed for the Virtual Computing Environment (VCE), a concept forged by VMware, Cisco, and EMC last November. The acronym VCE also encapsulates the partner's names.

Vblocks are comprised of Cisco's Unified Computing System blade and rack servers, based on Intel Xeon processors, and Nexus 1000V virtual switches, EMC's V-Max or Clariion disk storage and the VMware vSphere stack.

Vivek Badrinath, chief executive (CEO) of Orange Business Services, stressed the F4B is not a shrink-wrapped product and will be customised to suit each customer.

He said: "It's about four players coming together to address the four components of cloud computing: infrastructure, storage, virtualisation, and network operation."

The Orange Business Services unit is targeting sales of 500 million (423 million) by 2015 from cloud computing services.

"Architected properly, customers can benefit from having their own private clouds seamlessly integrated with service provider clouds to deliver on the promise of providing unprecedented gains in operational efficiency, quality of service and business agility for Enterprise IT," said Howard Elias, president and chief operating officer for EMC's Information Infrastructure and Cloud Services division.

Business Services will provide data centre space or work with third-parties' and customers' data centres under service level agreements (SLAs) suited to the nature of the provision. It will also make additional services available from its existing catalogue to assist with operating system and middleware issues.

Ofcom will start testing mobile broadband performance in the UK later this month now that analyst firm Epitiro has been appointed to carry out the job.

The tests will measure and benchmark the performance of major providers, including 3, O2 and Vodafone, as well as Orange and T-Mobile two firms that are effectively one as part of the Everything Everywhere joint initiative.

Despite the merger, T-Mobile and Orange services will be evaluated separately.

Ofcom expects to have a report detailing the findings ready for early 2011.

Epitiro will look at a number of key performance indicators, including accessibility, reliability and throughput speed.

It will also explore how differences in speeds are determined by geography and time of day, as well as the variations between networks.

This is not the first time Epitiro has carried out research into mobile broadband capabilities in the UK.

A study carried out between December 2008 and May 2009 found, on average, mobile broadband users got just 24 per cent of the maximum headline speeds advertised by providers. It also showed the average mobile broadband speed was below 1Mbps.

Epitiro director of marketing Iain Wood told IT PRO he expects the new research to be good for providers and consumers alike.

"It will be beneficial for the operators, they'll focus probably a bit more on consumer experience," he said, suggesting the companies under the spotlight could be inspired to improve their speeds and coverage overall.

"I think for the consumer it'll probably give them a bit more awareness of the service levels they could expect to see around the UK."

During the tests, Epitiro will use its ipQ Consumer Experience measurement technology, which connects to the internet and carries out a range of tests, including how quickly a service can download a file or how well the web surfing capabilities work.

While the technology is the same that was used in the company's previous mobile broadband study, the analyst firm has been coordinating with the industry on how to fine tune the testing process to make it as effective as possible, Wood added.

Orange mobile phone customers will soon be able to take advantage of the T-Mobile network and vice versa, meaning greater areas of coverage, the merged companies' parent Everything Everywhere has confirmed.

Given the combined customer base, this means around 30 million people will be able to connect, text and call in more places than just one network can allow.

There are also plans to expand the network-sharing efforts next year so that the handset will automatically switch to whichever is the strongest signal mid call - a great boon for business and customer users alike. Enhanced data and internet coverage plans are also on the cards.

"Orange and T-Mobile business customers will be able to benefit from access to both networks. At present we are not inviting corporate business customers who use intelligent network services such as secure VPNs to sign-up but the network improvements will soon be rolled out to all customers," an Everything Everywhere spokesperson told IT PRO.

To benefit from both networks from 5 October, users just need to sign up. There is also no cost to users associated with the extended coverage reach.

"This is the beginning of an ambitious plan to give our customers instant access to whatever they want, wherever they are instant access to everything everywhere," said the company's chief executive Tom Alexander.

"...Until now, the industry has been working in a single network environment. We have a vision of a multinet' world where the consumer will be able to access what they want, when they want, at the touch of a button. It will all be possible due to a complex system of interweaving multiple networks, bringing mobile, wifi and fixed technologies together to act as a super network."

High definition (HD) calling is now available on a number of handsets in the UK from mobile operator Orange.

The company announced the technology way back in 2008 and promised the service would be available in the UK and Belgium from the third quarter of 2009.

However, trials didn't surface until June this year, after further promises back in January from Orange that the technology would definitely roll out in 2010.

The HD voice calling is now ready to go though and will be available for free if a customer invests in one of the following handsets: Nokia 5230, Nokia X6, Nokia E5 and Samsung Omnia Pro.

Martin Stiven, vice president of Business at Everything Everywhere, the company which runs Orange UK, said: "HD Voice is going to change the way businesses are able to communicate through our mobiles from conducting calls in places that were not previously possible to the ability to hear emotions in people's voices."

He added: "People are going to love the clarity of calls and the lack of background noise. Once you've used it, you will want to keep it."

Although only available on four handsets so far, Orange has promised more devices will be enabled over the coming months.

People don't like being misled, especially when it comes to being told porkies about what companies can offer.

For that reason alone the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is a fine organisation that can put firms, who think they can lie to consumers, in their place.

Just this month, BT had two ads banned for being misleading.

So, we've drawn up our top 10 notorious promotions from the tech industry and why they were given the smackdown by the ASA.

10. Super Skype images August 2009

A Skype TV ad that showed a new father talking to his parents on a webcam was banned. During the ad, the young chap moved his laptop so his mummy and daddy could see his partner and newborn baby.

A total of five viewers complained, challenging whether the ad was misleading in its exaggeration of sound and picture quality.

The ASA recognised Skype was trying to show a truly optimised version of the service, but said it did not convey typical performance levels that all its users could achieve.

9. Ambiguous Orange June 2010

Orange claimed in an ad its 3G network covered "more people in the UK than any other operator" something that Hutchison 3G UK, the owner of 3, said was simply not true.

For the ASA, the main issue was the ambiguity over the claim. It was unclear to the regulatory body whether the statement was referring to Orange covering more people in the places where they lived than any other operator, or more people in the UK, wherever they may be using their 3G mobile device.

One for the semantics professors this one...

8. Erroneous Ebay April 2009

On a poster, eBay ran with the tagline: "Guess What? 25 per cent Cheaper Than The High Street On Brand New Items." Can you guess where this is going?

Just one complaint was filed challenging eBay's claim, as it did not make it clear what the basis for the comparison was.

The small print on the ad revealed the 25 per cent claim was obtained by comparing the average sold price (including P&P) of 288 new products on eBay.co.uk with the price in mainstream retail stores. With each product, prices were obtained in six different shops and the average price was taken.

The ASA said the small print was insufficient in size to be overlooked, and consumers were likely to infer from the ad they could get a new item on eBay 25 per cent cheaper than they would from the high street on every occasion. The ad was therefore pulled.

7. BT Infinity ironic fail August 2010

Buzz Lightyear wouldn't have been too keen on BT's Infinity ad, which promoted a service promising "instant internet."

Four complaints were lodged with the ASA, suggesting the "instant" claim in the commercial was misleading.

BT believed consumers would understand the term "instant" did not mean there would be no delay whatsoever, even providing the comparison of instant coffee. The ASA did not agree.

Neither was it happy with BT's claims its fibre services could upload a 9MB video in eight seconds and download a 6MB song in just three seconds.

"We noted that BT had provided a list of the times they believed it would take to complete the activities stated in the ad, using their fibre optic broadband," the ASA said.

"However, we also noted that we had not seen evidence that substantiated those times."

6. iPhone 3G not 'really' that fast August 2008

"So what's so great about 3G? It's what helps you get the news, really fast. Find your way, really fast. And download pretty much anything, really fast. The new iPhone 3G. The internet, you guessed it, really fast."

That was what Apple claimed in one of its TV ads and it ended up with 17 people complaining it purveyed a false interpretation of how fast the smartphone actually was.

Apple said the claims "were relative rather than absolute." ASA said the ad misled consumers into believing the phone actually worked as fast as it did in the ad. And that was the end of that.

5. Mafia Wars ad fried on Facebook July 2010

Mafia Wars is a contentious title as it is, so when an ad for the game ran on Facebook featuring a hoody wearing a knife, it was likely to draw some attention.

Just one complaint was registered with the ASA, however, suggesting the ad was irresponsible as it promoted knife use and condoned violent behaviour.

Zynga Game Network, the Mafia Wars creator, stressed the game nor the ad featured any actual depictions of violent crime and Facebook itself had given the promotion approval. The game company also said the ad was targeted at an adult audience which would understand the context of the ad.

However, Facebook ended up removing the ad by its own prerogative, as it breached advertising guidelines prohibiting images of weapons.

The ASA said the ad was "aggressive and threatening" and "glamorised and condoned violence." The complaint was upheld and the ad was removed.

4. Vodafone radio terms too fast September 2008

Small print is such a surreptitious inclusion it makes many people's blood boil. When it is condensed down to verbal form for a radio advert, it can be even more irritating.

One listener was suitably infuriated by a Vodafone advert for the communications giant's Endless Summer campaign. At the end of the promotion a woman speedily spurted out these terms and conditions: "Subject to status, availability and connection to 18-month contract. Unlimited calls to landlines or Vodafone Mobiles only. Fair-use policy, terms and 60-minute call cap applies."

The ASA simply said the words were said too quickly, were not clearly audible and could therefore mislead listeners. Amusing, considering Vodafone is a company that relies so much on the clarity of communications.

3. BT broadband claim fail, part deux August 2010

No doubt some will be pleased to see the back of this particular TV ad, which involved an estate agent frustrated at slow ADSL speeds, a character played by actor Kris Marshall, and a lady enjoying some much faster broadband supposedly served up by BT.

A voice over in the ad said "BT is rolling out up to 20Mbps speeds to give you a consistently faster broadband throughout the day even at peak times."

The ASA adjudicated the 20Mbps claim was misleading after a number of customers complained, some challenging whether the 20Mbps claim could be substantiated, others questioning whether the speeds the lady was getting were accurate.

In a rather large case load for the ASA, a total of seven complaint points were raised about a range of ads, including the aforementioned TV one. Just one of these went BT's way.

2. Dell pricing confusion August 2006

This may be hard for some to remember, but four years ago a Dell advert went with this claim: "Whatever you need a PC for, Dell has the one you want for less than you might expect. Right now get this Dell Inspiron notebook featuring an Intel Celeron processor for only 299."

The ad featured a web address and a phone number, which a number of viewers assumed would take them to where this deal was available.

A total of 25 complaints were lodged, 23 saying when they went to the website, after seeing the ad, the laptop was available, but for 349 rather than 299.

After being approached by the ASA, Dell said the Inspiron 1300 deal would be available through telephone sales just for a short time before being opened up on the website.

As the deal was not initially available on the website at the advertised price, the ASA deemed the ad to be misleading and it was pulled off air. A case of mistiming on Dell's behalf, it appeared.

1. The iPhone can get 'all the internet'? August 2008

This had to be number one, just for its pure relevance. Two years ago, Apple put out a TV ad that claimed "all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone."

This upset two viewers who knew the device could not support Flash or Java, meaning every feature on the web was not actually accessible on the device.

Although the ASA recognised Apple's claim the ad was about site availability rather than technical detail, the regulatory body believed the ad had not explained the limitations.

"We concluded that the ad gave a misleading impression of the internet capabilities of the iPhone," the ASA said.

Adobe fans, this ones for you.

A number of Orange customers were left without data services yesterday after an "unusual" software problem combined with a hardware failure.

This affected a "small number" of APNs, in turn leaving some customers unable to access the internet, a company spokesperson said.

Many were left concerned, as initially Orange had given no timeframe for how long it would take to fix the problem, but now the communications giant has confirmed service is "fully restored."

"We'll continue to monitor network performance closely and would like to apologise once again for any inconvenience caused," the spokesperson told IT PRO.

At the time of publication, Orange had not explained what the precise software and hardware issues were.

Once the problems had started, some affected customers had opted to use 2G rather than 3G services, although others were left completely without mobile internet, according to reports.

Earlier this year, an Orange advert claiming the provider's 3G network covered "more people in the UK than any other operator" was banned.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed the ad was misleading after 3's parent company Hutchison 3G UK put in a complaint, saying its operator actually had the largest network when it came to population.

Orange has revamped its iPhone 4 prices, making the 16GB phone available for free on a 50 per month, 24-month contract.

With this deal users will also get 1,200 minutes, unlimited texts and free sat nav with Orange Maps as well as 50 photo messages a month.

Tariffs for the 16GB start at 30 a month with 150 minutes and 250 texts included on the 18 and 24-month plans, although the phone costs 229 on the former contract and 169 on the latter.

The 32GB is not available for free on Orange but can be purchased for 29 on a 75 a month contract, with unlimited minutes and texts.

Tariffs also start at 30 for the 32GB model and have the same minutes and texts. The 18-month deal requires the buyer to shell out 319 for the phone, compared to 269 for the 24-month option.

When Orange launched its initial iPhone 4 prices in June, the only free iPhone 4 handset was on a 75 per month deal.

Vodafone has come out on top of an annual list of Britain's most valuable brands.

The Brand Finance list of 50 was headed up by the mobile provider, which had a value of 17.93 billion, up from 17.03 billion last year.

However, despite the list being about valuable British brands, Vodafone's success wasn't all about its performance at home.

Chief executive (CEO) and founder of Brand Finance, David Haigh, told Marketing Week: "Vodafone in particular has done very well this year. But it isn't necessarily because of its performance in the UK but because of its performance globally."

Other successful technology companies, mostly in the telecoms field, managed to secure a place in the top 50 as well.

Orange which is now French owned dropped one place, as well as 0.61 billion, to fourth, with a current price tag of 11.35 billion.

However, O2 moved up four places to number 16 with a value of 3.78 billion up from 2.91 billion last year.

BT managed to sneak up a spot as well to 10th place with a value of 5.37 billion, whereas its rivals Virgin and Sky only achieved 25th and 27th place respectively.

Over half of this year's graduates expect to have access to flexible working in their first job out of university, according to new research.

The study, commissioned by Orange, showed 53 per cent of the 1,000 graduates interviewed expected to either work from an external location or outside traditional office hours, with a huge 69 per cent stating it was "important."

The research also showed almost half of the graduates 45 per cent expected to be able to access both email and work files remotely, showing the importance of technology for the new workforce of 2010.

Max Taylor, director of corporate marketing for Orange, said: "Today's graduates are far more digitally savvy than their counterparts of 10 or even five years ago."

"They expect to be able to work on the move and make use of tools like social media and the internet wherever they are."

However, he thinks this attitude will be positive for businesses in the UK.

"Enabling this type of working for the new generation of employees coming into the workplace can be a real asset to businesses," Taylor added.

"They're already fully conversant with the ins and outs of mobile technology, and should be able to adapt their previous experience to help them out when they start work, for example by doing some quick online research on the way to a meeting or finding a contact in their network who can help them get things done."

Other aspects of a job graduates considered as "important" included learning experiences, happiness, good salaries and great colleagues.

Users of the HTC Hero on Orange's network have been waiting for an update to Google's mobile operating system for a very long time.

Now HTC has finally confirmed it will be updating the current 1.6 Android OS to 2.1 codenamed clair within a matter of weeks and has apologised for the wait.

"Testing the [2.1] update across European markets took longer than anticipated," claimed the Taiwanese manufacturer.

"We hope to receive final approval by the end of the week and Orange handsets should start updating from next week."

However, some Android customers already have version 2.2 of the OS codenamed Froyo and users of other HTC devices, such as the HTC Desire, are expecting the update from 2.1 in the third quarter of this year, still leaving Hero users behind.

But delays have not stopped Android's popularity growing in the UK.

A report released yesterday by GfK Retail and Technology (GfK) showed market share for the phones had quadrupled in the past year, whilst sales of the phones grew by a massive 350 per cent.

Orange has launched its Telepresence Community solution in collaboration with Cisco, as the companies look to bring the benefits of video conferencing to a wider audience.

The deal will enable Orange Business Service customers to access Cisco's 800 private and public Telepresence rooms across the world. They will also be able to enjoy the solution free of charge until 1 April 2011 without having to commit to a contract.

Orange said it is looking for other partnerships to expand customer connectivity with Telepresence so they can contact people on other networks.

"We aim to have at least three major interconnections in place before the end of the year and will continue adding to the community as required by the demands of our growing customer base," explained Marc Blanchet, senior vice president of global communication services at Orange Business Services.

"Through Telepresence Community, our B2B Telepresence solution, opening our network and customer base to work with enterprises connected to other operators' networks will create a global video community."

Orange is also working on a pay-as-you-go model for Telepresence and is looking to the cloud to provide this service. The telecoms firm believes this will provide customers with better value.