Scotland is to benefit further from the boom in the mobile phone market with another 800 jobs created over the next year.

The mobile operator - One2One - has unveiled expansion plans which would see 500 new posts in Greenock and the rest in Inverness and Edinburgh.

Launched in September 1993, One2One has enjoyed phenomenal growth, fired largely by the popularity of pay as you go mobile phone schemes.

Now owned by Deutsche Telekom, the company intends to create almost 2,000 jobs in the UK over the next year.

Most will be at a new call centre in South Wales, but the company will be expanding its Inverclyde operation and creating work through associated companies including Cap Gemini and T.S.C.

Market expansion

This is the latest in a series of announcements suggesting Scotland is reaping the benefits of the boom in the mobile phone market.

Earlier this week plans were unveiled to build a new components factory in Bishopbriggs creating 400 jobs and Motorola's Bathgate plant is in the midst of a £50m investment programme which should bring more than 1,000 jobs to the area.

Thirteen companies have submitted bids so far to operate the next generation of mobile phones in the UK.

They include the country's four well-known cellphone groups - Vodafone Airtouch, BT Cellnet, Orange and One2One.

Others are US carrier MCI Worldcom, cable giant NTL and SpectrumCo Ltd - a consortium led by Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

Spain's Telefonica, Crescent Wireless and Ireland's Eircom, which has set up a company called 3G, are in the competition too.

Licence cost

They all hope to win licences for mobile phones which will be able to receive e-mail, video, and the internet.

Any businesses which bid must put up £50m for the privilege - and the licences themselves may go for up to £500m each.

The government hopes to raise around £1.5bn from the auction - enough for a penny cut off income tax.

It is making five licences available for the next generation of mobile phones.