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.

The GSMA reported that 85,000 visitors attended Mobile World Congress this year, breaking all previous records for the show.

Andrew Skinner, Relationship Director of the Technology, Media & Telecoms team at Barclays, reflects on his time in Barcelona and some of the key themes to come out of this year’s show.

James Rosewell writes:

I noticed a new phenomenon at Mobile World Congress this year: Beer O’Clock. Come 5pm Monday through Wednesday, companies with larger booths would break out the Cerveza, Vino, Cava and a small number of Orange juices. All very sociable and fun… until the music started.

Mark Bridge writes:

So, that’s another Mobile World Congress in the bag. Yes, it was bigger than ever. Just like last year. Just like the year before, too.

Mark Bridge writes:

I was ready to poke fun at IBM for its sponsored graffiti wall at Mobile World Congress this year. Graffiti and IBM don't have a comfortable history, as anyone who remembers the Linux campaign from 2001 will tell you.

Mark Bridge writes:

Some companies have saved their big announcements for the week of Mobile World Congress. Samsung and Nokia, for example. Others have issued a press release in advance.

Former javelin world record holder Steve Backley talks about selling mobile phones, while Iain, James and Mark look at the rest of the week’s industry headlines – from SpinVox problems to Blyk’s closure.

This week Iain Graham talks to Andy Tow, MD of distributor Avenir Telecom. And, as usual, Iain joins James Rosewell and Mark Bridge for an in-depth look at the week's mobile industry headlines.

We report from the launch of Datawind's new UbiSurfer netbook and PocketSurfer3 device, which both include a year's mobile internet access with the purchase price. Plus, as usual, there's an in-depth look at all the week's mobile industry headlines.

This week's podcast sees Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse reunited, T-Mobile UK with an uncertain future and mobile music downloads hitting new highs. There's also news about a youth-focussed MVNO - and it's not Blyk.

It's a particularly upbeat edition of The Fonecast this week, with European roaming charges falling, a universal phone charger on the horizon and mobile video uploads on the increase. Coming back down to earth, we also take a look at some of the problems facing mobile payments in the UK.