Ofcom, the communications regulator, is advising the Government that the time is right to free up some 2G spectrum for 3G services, including mobile broadband. The specific frequencies are 900MHz and 1800MHz.

These are currently licenced to O2 and Vodafone exclusively and it was always competition issues that stopped any progress being made with regards to the carrying of 3G on these frequencies.

However with the merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK to form Everything Everywhere, and their network sharing plans which are already underway, the competition argument carries much less weight.

2G, particularly on the 900MHz frequency, is already well established even in rural areas. Switching on 3G on this frequency would provide instant benefits for consumers who are currently struggling to get a decent 3G signal.

The possibility of this change happening swiftly is increased by Ofcom's latest statement but there is no indication whether the Government's original date for settling this matter of the end of 2011 will be brought forward.

We are able to offer mobile internet broadband from £12.77 per month (plus VAT) including a FREE USB modem stick. This provides you with a usage limit of 3GB per month - more than enough for the average business user.

The latest operating system from Microsoft, Windows Phone 7, is due to be released on UK handsets this month. It is said to be the most tested and, therefore, bug-free operating system for mobile smartphones released from MS.

The length of time in the making does mean that it is significantly behind the Apple and Android OSs and it is yet to be seen whether their features such as Xbox  integration will have enough appeal to gain them significant market share.

Their new devices will feature social networking heavily as well as device integration. Is this enough to reverse their declining smartphone market share? (from 20% to around 5%).

Key partners include the mobile phone manufacturers LG, Samsung, HTC and Dell, and they have all five of the network operators (Orange, Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile and 3) on board too.

From a business perspective the new handsets should integrate with existing Microsoft IT in a seamless manner. Many businesses prefer to use a Windows based operating system for their smartphones as it makes their life easier using a familiar platform.

Initial handset releases will focus on the consumer market with business mobile phones to follow in due course. Once handsets have been officially announced we will carry more information about Windows Phone 7 mobiles here.

The first real tangible benefits of the Orange T-Mobile UK merger will soon be felt by their customers. Starting from October users of either network will be able to utilise the other network signal when their own is struggling. Effectively they will have a sort of UK roaming.

When the service rolls out in October it will not be automatic, as there are handset issues which need to be addressed, however you will be able to opt-in to the service if you use either network.

New handsets issued by the companies will no doubt come pre-configured to switch between networks automatically and over time the whole service will therefore become totally automated.

This could be a huge selling point for the merged companies and it will be interesting to see if O2 and Vodafone consider a similar type of arrangement in the face of such strong competition.

For users of Orange business mobiles this is great news as a better signal in more areas can only be a good thing for businesses with their team spread throughout the UK.

At Business Mobile World one of our key aims when talking to businesses is to reduce their bills. Saving money on your tariff, and therefore your monthly spend, is obvious and quantifiable. We have some examples of savings we have made for business mobile customers already on our website.

You can see from these examples that savings of hundreds of pounds a month, or several thousand pounds over the course of a year are often achievable. This makes for very happy customers.

Not so obvious are the savings your business could make by improving its communications. Getting new handsets which function in exactly the way you need them to and offer additional services which could be useful will save every one of your employees time. Time is money, so the saying goes.

We find that heavy email users tend to want BlackBerry phones and we can help with both the handsets and the setting up of BlackBerry email, BIS, BES and other email solutions.

These benefits are long term and in addition to savings which can be made on your contract terms. When it comes to taking out a new contract or renewing your current one we will be looking at a balance of both options to deliver the maximum savings to your business.

The business telecoms market is ever changing, particularly with the merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK. This means that new tariffs are becoming available and inclusive terms can differ wildly between networks.

That's why utilising the services of a broker to find your business the best deal and save you the most money makes sense. Our knowledge of the latest mobile phone technology can point you in the direction of the best handsets for the way your business uses them.

At the same time we can help with mobile data usage, via a dongle or laptop with integrated sim card, and also advise on the full range of telecoms products we offer including landlines, fixed broadband, tracking and more.

The cost of business mobile contracts could be set to come down soon as a number of networks launch new business tariffs.

Vodafone have launched Business Choice which is aimed at SMEs with 2 to 50 mobile phone handsets. This is a flexible tariff with a number of paid add-ons allowing companies to mix and match their requirements and build a tariff that reflects their usage.

Businesses can choose the number of minutes to be shared, data allowances and technical support, and the basic plan includes free calls to UK landlines, free UK calls to company mobiles on the same plan, 150 standard UK text messages and free voicemail retrieval as standard.

As an incentive a £5 monthly discount for all businesses signing up to certain options before August 15th is available. Contact us for more information.

At the same time the parent company of Orange and T-Mobile, Everything Everywhere, have announced their intention to launch an assault on the UK business market. The combined power of these two networks should produce better tariffs for business mobiles than are currently available.

With a merged network, coverage, which is essential for business users, should no longer be an issue meaning that both networks will be able to increase their business customer base.

Full details of any new business tariffs from Orange and T-Mobile will be printed here as they become available. In the meantime to take advantage of the enhanced coverage and low cost business tariffs currently available from these networks get in touch with us.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of interesting mobile news currently, certainly not since we last posted on 10th February. The most interesting news from the world of mobile phones, both business mobile phones and consumer mobiles, is posted below.

Firstly it looks like the Orange/T-Mobile merger is going to go ahead without regulatory inspection in the UK. The decision is with the EU and it would appear that the companies involved have made enough concessions for the OFT to withdraw its objections and the EU to approve it. The decision is expected early next week.

Hopefully once regulatory approval is granted we will then get a timescale for the merger and perhaps more details of the direction that will be taken by the newly-merged network. Fingers crossed it will bring lower prices and more innovative products but don't hold your breath.

Vodafone would appear to be the fastest network for web browsing on mobile phones according to a recent independent survey commissioned by O2. The figures are general across the UK rather than region specific and the actual differences in speed between the major networks is unlikely to be noticeable by the average user.

Vodafone have also launched what is thought to be the world's cheapest phone. The 150 should sell for around £10 and is aimed at the developing world. The developing world is seen as the main growth area in the coming years as phone sales in the developed world fall.

TalkTalk are looking to enter the mobile phone arena by becoming a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) later in the year. This service is in addition to the home phone, broadband and digital TV products it already offers.

Sony Ericsson have been censured by the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) over claims it made in a TV advert with regard to it's Satio handset and its ability to connect to Facebook. The handset does not come with a Facebook app and initially could not even run the app due to software problems. However the Facebook app is now available for download onto the Satio.