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.
ExclusiveWe interview Geoff Love of Esendex about business SMS messaging Opinion Mark - May 11, 2012 Mark Bridge writes: Nottingham-based Esendex Limited has been supporting businesses with messaging services for over ten years. Yet with SMS messaging celebrating its 20th birthday in the UK this year, it would be easy to think the no-nonsense short message is now being threatened by social networking, mobile email and picture messages. That’s not the case, explained Geoff Love, Chief Commercial Officer of Esendex.
ExclusiveIs Facebook killing SMS? Opinion Mark - May 11, 2012 Mark Bridge writes: Facebook is killing off SMS traffic and SMS revenue for mobile networks, according to a new research note from Strand Consult. It says the ‘golden days’ of messaging growth are over as consumers increasingly use Facebook to keep in touch.
ExclusiveNokia can't stop talking - even when there’s nothing to say Opinion Mark - May 10, 2012 Mark Bridge writes: I still have my Nokia 2110. When the world is taken over by cockroaches and the MRSA bug, my Nokia 2110 will still be in working order. The MRSA-infected cockroaches will probably use it to build their own cellular network. I loved the Nokia Communicator. It was a real game-changer, a device that paved the way for today’s smartphones.
ExclusiveHow to use the Olympics to boost your profits and make mobile work for you Opinion Mark - May 9, 2012 Textlocal’s top tips on how to use the Olympics to boost your profits and make mobile work for you: With only 80 days to go until the start of the Olympics 2012, most businesses will have already outlined their marketing strategies to reach out to the new audiences it will attract to the UK. Leading mobile company Textlocal explains how limited time isn’t an issue where mobile messaging is concerned.
ExclusiveLondon NFC advertising disappoints Opinion Mark - May 8, 2012 Mark Bridge writes: It's a hard life being an early adopter. Last week in London I walked past a bus shelter that displayed a sequence of posters. Next to the changing display panel was a blue NFC logo. “For advertiser links and travel information touch your NFC enabled phone above”