A new report from telecoms analyst Ovum says mobile operators are in danger of underestimating the threat that Facebook poses.

Mobile Social Networking: change driver & key players states that operators tend to view Facebook as a non-competitive presence to partner with. However, it suggests that Facebook’s ambitions spread much wider than simply being a social network.

Burnside Telecom, a UK-based company that produces GSM-enabled 'desk phones' for homes and offices, has announced an agreement with GAI-Tronics to create a range of rugged telephones and mobile-enabled terminals for indoor and outdoor use.

The first set of products will include mobile-equipped versions of GAI–Tronics existing products, including weather-resistant phones and hands-free help points.

It's reported that the US Federal Trade Commission will investigate the way in-application charges are sold and applied by app stores.

It follows recent complaints that 'virtual currency' is too easy to buy, particularly when children are using mobile devices.

Orange customers in the UK will soon be able to pay for content purchased on their Window Phone devices by adding the charge to their mobile phone account. It means they won't need to give their bank information when opening a Microsoft account to buy music, games or apps.

The news comes a week after Research In Motion and Telefonica announced they were working together to introduce integrated carrier billing to BlackBerry App World.

A new report from Juniper Research says music consumed on mobile handsets is expected to generate $5.5 billion (around £4.7 billion) annually in 2015. That's a rise of $3.1 billion from last year's total.

However, the report also warns that piracy still remains a significant threat, both online and on the mobile.