Disney goes mobile but it won't mean Mickey Mouse phones

The Walt Disney Company is seeking a partner to launch a "family friendly" mobile phone in the UK.

The media giant, where Bob Iger took over from Michael Eisner as chief executive this year, is launching a Disney Mobile service with US phone group Sprint next year. It has also emerged that Disney is in talks with Vodafone in Japan about launching a service there.

If Disney secures a partner in the UK shortly, it could have a similar service available by next Christmas.

The concept behind Disney Mobile is to have branded phones that appeal to children of eight and above, as well as their parents. Though the phones may feature Disney characters, they will not be the likes of Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh, which appeal to very small children. It would prefer to use "older" characters such as Herbie or Aslan from Narnia.

Disney is keen to avoid accusations of using pester power and does not want phones anything like the Teddyphone, launched last month specifically for children as young as four years old.

Disney will operate as a mobile virtual network operator - like Virgin Mobile - piggybacking on an existing network and using spare capacity.

Virgin also has a deal with Sprint in the US and works with T-Mobile in the UK. Disney's British partner is likely to be either T-Mobile or 0 ₂.

The Disney phone will have a number of characteristics that the company thinks will make it attractive for parents to buy for children. It will have keys that can call home or to a parent's mobile in an emergency, tracking systems, and controls to stop children accessing unsuitable websites and running up massive bills from ringtone or information services.

The UK is one of Disney's most important markets and Mr Iger's key objectives include increasing Disney's sales outside the US and developing new technologies for the group.

A spokeswoman for Disney said: "Earlier this year, the Walt Disney Internet Group announced plans in the US to develop a mobile phone service specifically designed for families. We constantly evaluate business opportunities around the world and, as such, we have had preliminary discussions with some key stakeholders to help shape our thinking as we explore the possible development of this service in the UK. "