The UK’s major mobile network operators and the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) are now all using the GSMA’s Spam Reporting Service to deal with unwanted SMS text messages.

Although networks have offered spam reporting services for several years, the involvement of the ICO will increase the likelihood of offenders being identified and fined rather than simply being blocked.

New figures from messaging threat protection specialists Cloudmark have revealed that text message spammers used more than 350,000 unique SMS spam variants in 2012.

December saw the widest variety, with more than 53,000 different variants received worldwide.

The GSMA, which represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry, has launched its own spam reporting service for text messages. At the moment it's just a pilot scheme and is being operated by AT&T Mobility, Korea Telecom and SFR.

Online security company Cloudmark will operate the GSMA Spam Reporting Service. It'll analyse SMS traffic submitted by customers of participating networks via a short code of '7726', which spells SPAM on most mobile phones.

Mark Windle, head of marketing at OpenCloud, predicts that this year’s reduction in the number of traditional telecoms operators in some countries will provide an opportunity for other operators to innovate and capture market share in 2016.

He says next year will be a year of rapid change for telecoms… whether it’s MVNO disruption, competitive tariff pricing or simply defence from the ‘dark art’ of hacking.

Mark Bridge writes:

The most memorable moments in life often go unrecorded. You don't have your camera in your hands. Your finger is still hovering over the 'pause' button on your audio recorder. Or you were simply too busy experiencing whatever was happening. It's all about the one that got away.

That's where Kapture can help.

Mark Bridge writes:

James Rosewell shows me a colourful roll of paper that's the width of an iPhone but well over three metres long. When I look closer, I can see it's a printed copy of the Wall Street Journal's mobile website. That's a lot of scrolling to do... and a pretty unfriendly user experience for anyone reading the news online. Why does it work so badly?

Iain Graham, Mark Bridge and James Rosewell take their usual off-beat look at the latest industry headlines in this week's edition of The Fonecast. John Ryan offers retail merchandising advice - and there's a preview (or should that be a forecast?) of the BlackBerry Storm.

As well as its usual look at the latest industry news, this week's edition of The Fonecast includes an interview with Graeme Oxby, MD of Virgin Mobile. There's also time for a quick preview of the new Prada phone from LG.

In this week's edition of The Fonecast we're talking to Milind Kangle, CEO of Lycatel - the company behind new UK virtual network Lycamobile. There's also a quick preview of the forthcoming Android-powered T-Mobile G1 and our usual look at the latest mobile news headlines.

As well as its usual look at the latest mobile industy headlines, this week The Fonecast talks to an O2 dealer and the IMPDA's Chris Caudle about the changes to O2's dealer commission structure.

This week The Fonecast welcomes Nokia's Rupert Englander, who explains more about his company's new Comes With Music service. There's also a preview of the HTC Touch HD and the usual irreverent look at the week's industry headlines and rumours.