A NEW venture by QinetiQ, DERA'S private successor, is set to halve the number of mobile phone masts in the country.

In the week of its launch, QinetiQ announced the formation of Quintel Ltd, with mast landlords the Rotch Group.

The new company is having talks with the five next-generation service providers, which include Orange and BTCellnet.

Radio masts are often shared between networks now but new technology developed at DERA for military use means a single antenna will be capable of servicing all five networks at once.

Andrew Middleton, QinetiQ's director of knowledge and information systems, said: "Personal communication is transforming all our lives and the pace is hotting up.

"Quintel's smart technology offers balanced progress, delivering exciting capability while addressing the key environmental issues."

QinetiQ's launch was marked with a spectacular firework display on Sunday (July 1) for 2,000-plus staff and their families.The new company, however, has been told road signs around Malvern pointing to DERA cannot be replaced with ones saying QinetiQ.

Mike Davies, of Malvern Hills Highways Partnership, said: "QinetiQ is now a private company and you can't have road signs with the names of private firms, as they would all want them.

"But we're talking to QinetiQ about some acceptable alternative, such as 'technology park'."

Shares in the new company are currently Government-owned but there should be a stock exchange flotation by next spring. Future plans include a massive redevelopment of the Malvern site.

QinetiQ's bright future, see page 18