Telecoms.com

Finally, the Open Mobile Terminal Platform (OMTP) alliance, an operator led community that recommends mobile terminal requirements, is making the universal phone charger a reality.

The group said this week that it has agreed to pave the way for a single, universal, cross manufacturer USB cable connector that will allow consumers to connect and charge their mobile devices.

With many consumers changing their handset on average twice a year, there are literally hundreds of millions of chargers and data cables in circulation. On top of that, there a huge number of peripherals such as headsets and car kits with different physical connectors. This fragmentation creates unnecessary cost for the whole value chain, creates clutter and limits the freedom of selection for end user, and restricts competition by creating barriers of market entry, said the OMTP.

The OMTP recommends that the micro USB standard is used across mobile devices, just as USB is the de facto connector in the PC industry.