More than 38,000 Irish consumers have signed up to Vodafone's new picture and photograph messaging service, which was introduced five months ago.

The Republic's biggest mobile phone firm also revealed that more than 800,000 picture messages have been sent over its mobile network since November.

The figures give an early indication of consumer interest in next-generation mobile services, which will shortly offer users video on their mobile handsets.

Vodafone Group said it had also reached its target of signing up one million users of its new service, which is branded Vodafone Live, across its global operations by the end of March 2003.

Vodafone Live offers mobile users access to gaming and multimedia messaging.