Europe : Orange UK has been named “Best Entertainment Operator” in Europe at the Mobile Entertainment Awards in Cannes.

Fighting off fierce competition from across the European mobile industry, Orange bagged the top award of the night following innovative multimedia deals with the likes of social networking site Bebo and leading record labels.

Orange UK also won “Best Multimedia Marketing Campaign” for “Frank TV” – its mobile TV channel hosted by and starring Chelsea and England football star Frank Lampard.

The awards come after Orange revealed a dramatic rise in non-voice revenues in its first quarter results announced earlier this week (07/05/08). Data now accounts for 23.6% of Orange UK network revenues.

For the first time, Orange’s year-on-year rise in ARPU (annual revenue per user, or the amount a customer spends per year) was fuelled by customers spending more on data rather than voice.

Orange UK’s total ARPU was at £268 in the first quarter of this year – up £11 on the same time last year. £6 of that came solely from data services, while the other £5 from voice.

Speaking after the Mobile Entertainment Awards in Cannes, Paul Jevons, Director of Products & Innovation at Orange UK, said: “The way people are using their phones is changing. We see that in their usage and spend. Services that some once saw as gimmicks and fads are now proving to be the services people use in their every day lives for entertainment, information and building communities.”

“For many years now, Orange has been providing its customers with exciting and innovative services that are transforming the way people use their phones and changing the way the industry works. We’re proud to have been named Best Entertainment Operator in Europe and will continue to deliver industry-leading services for our customers.”

Orange next generation (3G) customers have also topped the 2 million barrier. 2.1 million Orange customers now use a 3G phone – an increase of 84% compared to last year.