Joint Investment with Carphone Warehouse

NewMedia SPARK PLC
2 March 2000


  NewMedia SPARK announces £5 million joint investment with
     The Carphone Warehouse's Wireless Internet Portfolio
     in DATAROAM,  to create Europe's first B2B Wireless
                Application Service Provider


The  Carphone  Warehouse's $50m Wireless Internet  Portfolio
('WIP')  and  NewMedia SPARK plc ('SPARK'), the  AIM  quoted
investment   fund,   announced  today  their   first   joint
investment of £5m in DATROAM, a UK based start up  Wireless
Application Service Provider (WASP').

DATAROAM's  business  strategy is  to  extend  the  emerging
Internet-based  Application Service Provider business  model
to the mobile communications market to create Europe's first
WASP.  DATAROAM  will host, manage and  implement  packaged
software   solutions,   which  will   allow   companies   to
communicate more efficiently with their staff in  the  field
enabling  them to provide higher service levels to customers
at   a   lower   cost.   DATAROAM's  customers   will   gain
demonstrable business benefits through the use of affordable
mobile solutions accessed over the Internet.

DATAROAM's  services  will  be provided  over  the  existing
mobile  networks and the Internet deploying  WAP  and  other
emerging  technologies.  As current European mobile networks
are  upgraded to GPRS (2.5G) and subsequently to UMTS  (3G),
the  mobile  data  market  is set to  grow  rapidly  and  is
forecasted to be worth £6 billion* by 2010 in the UK  alone,
equivalent  to  the  size of the fixed voice  market  today.
DATAROAM's   will  position  itself  to   be   the   leading
independent  data  service provider  using  these  broadband
networks.

DATAROAM,  was  formed in November 1999 by Simon  Gibbs  who
previously  worked  as  Director  of  Strategy  at  Cable  &
Wireless  plc, and includes senior industry executives  from
Compaq  Digital,  PWC and United News & Media.    The  Board
includes  Simon  Gibbs and David Moody  from  the  executive
management  team  as  well  as Sir  Michael  Jenkins,  Vice-
Chairman  of  Dresdner  Kleinwort  Benson  as  non-executive
Chairman,  Bruno d'Avanzo, formerly COO of  GTS  and  Michel
Coucke,  Head  of Heidrick and Struggles' European  telecoms
practice as non-executive directors.

DATAROAM will use this £5m first-round investment to  launch
its  services  in  the  UK  and plans  to  raise  additional
financing to scale the business across Europe.

The Wireless Internet Portfolio and SPARK have each invested
£2.5m  in  DATAROAM.  This  represents  the  largest  single
investment  either company has made to date.   In  addition,
this  is the first time the two companies have made a  joint
investment  and they anticipate working together  in  future
investments in the wireless sector.

Simon  Gibbs,  CEO of DATAROAM, commenting on the  company's
plans, said:

'Europe is on the edge of a mobile Internet revolution which
will  have a profound impact on the way businesses  operate.
DATAROAM  will  be  at the forefront of these  developments,
making   the  business  benefits  of  the  mobile   Internet
available to mid-sized companies, their customers, suppliers
and employees.'

Commenting on the investment, Mike Whitaker, CEO  of  SPARK,
said:
'The  growth  prospects for wireless  Business  to  Business
services  are very substantial, and we are pleased  to  have
the  opportunity to invest in a pioneering company  in  this
field  with a highly credible management team.  We are  also
pleased  to be working with The Wireless Internet  Portfolio
on  this  investment  and  we look forward  to  further  co-
operative investments with them in the future.'

David Ross, COO of Carphone Warehouse, said:

'This  represents  a  great  opportunity  to  invest  in  an
outstanding management team, in a sector which we understand
well.   We are well placed to add value through our industry
knowledge  and understanding of the commercial applications,
and our experience in rolling out our business across Europe
will be of great value to DATAROAM.'

Lovells and Barchester Ventures advised DATAROAM.

* Source Arthur D Little


____________________________________________________________

For further information, please contact:

New Media SPARK
Michael Whitaker                        020 7851 7777/
                                        07776 8555944
Dan  Conaghan                           020 7851  7777/
                                        0370 380573
Lisa Baderoon, Buchanan Communications  020 7466 5000

The Wireless Internet Portfolio
The Carphone Warehouse Press Office     0207 622 5549
Andrew Wessels                          0771 253 1100

DATAROAM
Simon Gibbs, CEO                        0700 393 3399
David Moody, CFO                        07971 610050
Sarah Roberts, GCI Focus                0207 398 9800





Notes to editors

DATAROAM

The Board of DATAROAM will consist of

Non-executive Chairman:  Sir  Michael Jenkins, vice-chairman
                         of Dresdner Kleinwort Benson
Non-executive director:  Bruno d'Avanzo, former COO  of
                         GTS and Intelsat
Non-executive director:  Michel   Coucke  head  of  European
                         Telecoms   practice,   Heidrick   &
                         Struggles
Founder and CEO:         Simon  Gibbs,  former  Director  of
                         Strategy, Cable & Wireless
CFO:                     David     Moody,    former    Group
                         Development Manager, UNM
New Media SPARK:         Dan Conaghan
                         The Wireless Internet
Portfolio:               Andrew Wessels


NM SPARK

DATAROAM is the 18th investment by NewMedia SPARK since  its
shares began trading on the Alternative Investment Market on
28th  October 1999. SPARK's present portfolio (in  which  it
has  invested  a  total  of approximately  £12m),  comprises
sharheoldings   in   Digital  Animations  Group,   Bridge4u,
Linkguard,   Watchmyprice,   Skillvest,   Firebox,   Crocus,
Mergermarket, Synaptics, Purple Voice, Travelstore,  Rainbow
Network,   Clipserver,   and  Wireless   Commerce   Limited,
Funplanet and Jetweb.  In addition, one investment,  easier!
Plc, has been sold for a profit of £2.75m.



The Wireless Internet Portfolio

The Carphone Warehouse Limited has earmarked $50 million  to
The Wireless Internet Portfolio  (WIP),  which  provides capital  
to  early  stage wireless web opportunities.  The Carphone Warehouse's  business
strategy is to take advantage  of  its existing reputation 
in the communications market place and to  become a major 
player in the European wireless  Internet market. In ten
years  it  has grown to be a major European force  with  its
customer focussed approach.  This has proved to be a winning 
formula across  a number  of  markets  in Europe, with 800  
stores  across  14 countries.