BT Wireless has renamed its mobile business ahead of the operation's planned demerger for later this year.

The holding company is to be called mmO2 plc with the consumer brand contracted to just O2.

The makeover is expected to be fully adopted for both products and services by next spring, the company said.

It seems the new brand embodies the company's ambition to provide "essential, lifestyle-enabling mobile services to its customers". And here's us just thinking it was a phone company.

Today's announcement will come as a blow to those groups lobbying BT to halt the demerger of its wireless operation.

Only last week the Communications Workers Union said it was talking to some investors in a bid force the telco to reconsider.

In a letter to its members Jeannie Drake, CWU Deputy General Secretary said: "The CWU believes that there is no strategic or corporate logic in hiving off BTs mobile arm into an independently-listed company, and that to do so would inflict irreversible damage on the company's long-term interests, to the detriment of its customers, shareholders and employees alike.

"The CWU is convinced that BT's future lies in providing integrated communications solutions for customers, embracing both the mobile and fixed networks.

BT's strength is in its ability to create complete solutions across Wireless, Internet, Broadband and E-Commerce. This should not be relinquished," she said. ®