ExclusiveConnecting London Car Telephones to TheFonecast.com Opinion The Fonecast - June 4, 2026 It was 1996 when I started working at the Cricklewood head office of Peoples Phone [writes Mark Bridge], initially in a sales support role before becoming part of the Marketing team. The company was an independent mobile phone retailer with a growing network of high-street shops and connected customers. In November 1996 the company and its customer base were acquired by Vodafone, which had already taken over the Talkland retail business and was soon to add Astec to its portfolio.
ExclusiveOfcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges News Mark - November 3, 2024 New rules from UK telecoms regulator Ofcom will protect customers when they use their mobile phone on a foreign network. In addition, customers will be alerted if they are inadvertently roaming, perhaps because they're near an international border.
ExclusiveGlobal smartphone market is set for recovery, says new forecast News Mark - November 23, 2023 A new forecast from research specialists Canalys shows the smartphone market is set to recover next year. Worldwide shipments declined by 12% last year but that decline is expected to slow to 5% this year.
ExclusiveVodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses Networks and operators Mark - June 20, 2023 Vodafone Group plc and CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited have agreed to combine their UK telecommunication businesses, respectively Vodafone UK and Three UK. The merger will create a large new network operator to compete with Virgin Media O2 and EE.
ExclusiveUK mobile payment service Paym to close in March 2023 News Mark - December 18, 2022 UK mobile payment service Paym will close on 7th March 2023. The service, which allowed users to make and receive payments using their mobile phone numbers, was launched in 2014.
ExclusiveTheFonecast.com newsletter: 7th January 2013 Opinion Mark - January 7, 2013 Mark Bridge writes: Happy New Year! It’s been three weeks since our last newsletter and a fortnight since our podcast of mobile predictions for 2013, so there’s plenty to catch up with.
ExclusiveOpportunities for media coverage and promotion at Mobile World Congress 2013 Opinion Mark - January 7, 2013 It’s heading towards that special time of the year when people prepare for a frantic few days of excitement, they get ready to exchange cards and they hope to glimpse a brand new star. Yes, Christmas is over and everyone’s thinking about Mobile World Congress.
ExclusiveAdvertising gets truly personal with Pontis Opinion Mark - January 4, 2013 Mark Bridge writes: Advertising is already personal. Browse online for certain products and services – perhaps a new camera, a car hire deal or a pair of jeans – and you’ll see the same items advertised when you visit other web sites. Marketing technology company Pontis, based in the high-tech industrial zone of Ra'anana in central Israel, has a much more focussed perspective. It talks about a segment-of-one marketing approach… and it’s just started working with O2 in the UK.
ExclusiveTop ten gadgets for 2013 Opinion Mark - December 29, 2012 Mark Bridge writes: I’ve recently been talking to Theo Neumann from Wolverhampton City Radio about the top ten gadgets that are likely to hit the headlines in 2013. The most desirable, most likely to be talked about, most exciting… that kind of thing. Although my top 10 list isn’t entirely mobile-related, I thought it was worth sharing here.
ExclusiveAre brands missing a trick with mobile? Opinion Mark - December 24, 2012 Dave Katz writes: It has been reported recently that consumer spend via mobile is on the increase this Christmas. Further confirmation has come from research indicating that 20% of the expected £4.6bn of total online shopping will be carried out using smartphones and tablets. If consumers want to browse, research and purchase via mobile, then is it not something of a surprise that only 7% of adspend in the UK currently goes on mobile?