Science Update: Global connections

A CABLE television company claims to have beaten British Telecom and Mercury by offering jet-setters the chance to have their telephone calls follow them around the world.

Cambridge Cable customers can re-program a central telephone switch remotely, so that it diverts their calls as they travel - perhaps to a mobile telephone for the journey to the airport, then to an office or hotel room in another country. The traveller would ring the UK switch number, tap in his or her personal identification number and the number of the telephone they want to pick up their calls.

Eric Tveter, managing director of the company, says this is more convenient than the 'call forward' feature on today's telephone services, which has to be re-programmed from the original handset.