UK telecoms regulator Ofcom wants to ban inflation-related rises in phone and broadband contracts. Instead, it says any potential mid-contract price rises should be set out in pounds and pence.

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.

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.

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.

Consumer protection organisation Which? has been given permission by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone buyers in a legal case against chip manufacturer Qualcomm.

Mark Bridge writes:

Bitcoin, as Wikipedia tells me, is a peer-to-peer payment system introduced as open-source software in 2009. It’s a ‘virtual currency’ that can be used for transferring money and for buying products or services, although only if your chosen retailer accepts Bitcoin.

Mark Bridge writes:

A brainstorming day run by T-Mobile UK with a dozen farmers, M&C Saatchi Mobile, the National Farmers Union and EBLEX (the organisation for the English beef and sheep industry) has resulted in some fascinating mobile-focussed solutions. The aim was to raise awareness of the benefits that smartphone technology can bring farmers and other small business owners.

Mark Bridge writes:

Flash is dead, HTML5 is the future. Okay, the next stage in the evolution of the mobile browser isn’t that clear – but a restructure at Adobe has pretty much marked the end of mobile Flash development.

This week the team debate the number of "free" calling options on the market and determine if they represent real value for money. They review the new budget phone from Motorola the W220 and Nokia's 5300 Xpress Music phone along with more applications for your phone and the latest news and views.

This week we review the LG Shine a phone that doubles as a mirror, and a WiFi Skype phone from Belkin. We discuss the future for Mobile TV as well as all the latested news and software including Dr Simon's Brain Trainer a mobile rival to Brain Age on the Nintendo DS.

The team update you on the Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4U and Vodafone latest, you can still buy Vodafone in other high street Retailers. Latest news including O2's reduction in roaming charges from Spain. Plus a review of the Lobster 700 with mobile TV from Virgin and the Sony Ericsson W850i, along with First Direct's mobile banking service and Monopoly on your mobile phone.

This week the team bring you the facts associated with Vodafone's announcement to abandom Carphone Warehouse as well as informed debate on what this means to the industry and consumers. We also review the UK mobile networks HSDPA roll out status.

This week the team debate the state of the Mobile ringtone market, review Orange Unique a service that combines broadband with your mobile plus the Nokia 95 and all the latest news and mobile software.