A paradigm shift may be taking place in the world of mobile communications, as operators begin to offer totally free calls for the first time.

In the next few months, teenagers in the UK will be offered mobile phone contracts with free calls in return for watching adverts on their phone. After Virgin Mobile offered a similar service called Sugar Mama to teenagers in the US, former Nokia president Pekka Ala-Pietilä’s new company, Blyk, is set to launch the first such service in the UK as its 16 to 24-year-old customers use mobile operator Orange’s network to make the calls.

‘Orange became the first operator to launch advertising on the mobile last year and feedback from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive,’ said Keith Greenfield, director of wholesale for Orange UK. ‘That makes Blyk’s approach even more exciting and we shall be watching their progress with interest.’

The popularity of the mobile phone among the 16 to 24 age group makes it an ideal marketing tool, especially now that the technology is capable of running high-quality video images. As teens will be required to wait for the highly targeted adverts in order to get their free calls, advertisers can guarantee their notices will be viewed. Major brands such as Coca-Cola, Buena Vista and L’Oréal have signed up to be among the first to have their wares advertised on Blyk’s system.