O2 makes a call on smartphones

The chief executive of the mobile phone giant O2 UK said his company would ramp up investment in network infrastructure to support demand for smartphones such as Apple's iPhone and BlackBerry's Torch.

Ronan Dunne said O2,the UK's second largesttelecoms provider, ispumping £1m a day intoits network, and that thiswill increase by up to25 per cent in 2011.

The plans for future investment come as smartphone sales boosted O2's revenues in the nine months to September by 5.6 per cent to €5.3bn (£4.5bn).

O2's figures were unveiled as its parent company Telefonica reported a 6 per cent increase in revenues to €44.2bn and underlying operating income of €20.3bn.