Orbitel Mobile Communications Ltd, equally owned by Racal Electronics Plc and Plessey Co Plc has put itself into pole position in the rush to win business from whoever wins the licences to operate the proposed Pointel public cordless telephone systems in France. Orbitel, which is already teamed up with Matra Communications SA on development of phones and equipment for the proposed pan-European digital cellular telephone system, has now extended to agreement to cover CT2 cordless phones and public base stations. In the UK, the two partners in Orbitel are contending separately for Telepoint operator licences, Racal through its Racal Telecommunications Plc, Plessey in partnership with Hull’s Kingston Communications. The Office of Telecommunications has passed its recommendation for four UK operators – to the Department of Trade & Industry, which is expected to announce its decision next week. STC Plc will be hoping to win CT2 equipment business in France too by virtue of British Telecommunications Plc’s alliance with France Telecom to bid for another of the four UK licences: STC developed much of the British Telecom cordless equipment.