It's music to your mobile

NEWS French media giant Vivendi Universal is investing £3.8m in a new mobile phone service allowing music lovers to listen to new releases and buy CDs and concert tickets. The prepaid package called Universal Music Mobile will be launched in France on 14 September. At a press conference, Jean-Marie Messier, chairman of Vivendi Universal, said he hopes the new service will become a "favourite brand" among teenagers and young adults. He said the company aims to secure 200,000 subscriptions by the end of 2001, and one million by 2003. Universal Music Mobile will be available, excluding the price of a handset, for FF59 (£5.64), with a monthly fee between FF99 (£9.47) and FF249 (£23.83). The service will only be available in France for the time being, but Messier said depending on its success it may be expanded to other countries at a later date. The service will operate on the existing network of France's second largest mobile operator SFR.