Vnunet's pan European super labs has bench tested Cellnet and Orange mobile networks under 999 emergency conditions.

The result - you can trust your life with Orange.

Under clean room conditions deputy news editor Jo Ticehurst and reporter Claire Woffenden got stuck in the lift at VNU's annexe building in Wardour Street. A delivery man was also trapped, and the lift phone didn't work.

Jo used Cellnet to try and call for help. She sounded like Stanley Unwin - a bloke who used to do a comedy routine in which you couldn't tell what he was saying - talking through a crisp bag. This is according to the man who failed to raise the alarm cos he couldn't tell what the problem was. Orange saved the day for Claire by allowing her to make a call and send an SOS message by SMS.

It then only took 45 minutes to free the trio. The delivery man apparently didn't handle his spell in captivity too well. ®