WHEN was the last time you made a call from your mobile phone?

It may seem an odd question, but many people’s handsets are used to transcend a simple conversation.

From sending texts to carrying out shopping, listening to music, playing games, watching videos and navigating a journey, our live revolve around our phones.

The first call on a handheld device is widely acknowledged to have been made in 1973 by Motorola worker, Martin Cooper, in the US.

But times have changed since Mr Cooper proudly unveiled his two-kilo invention and phones’ uses have evolved too.

Chris Lee knows all about that.

As the man who supplied and installed the first ever mobile phone in the North-East in 1989, he has remained a key figure in the sector ever since.

Mr Lee founded Sunderland-based telecoms and IT company, CCS, in 1986, which counts Sunderland AFC, Newcastle Airport and Hays Travel as customers.

Running four divisions, which cover mobile costs, IT management, telecoms systems and secure wireless network connections, the firm helps businesses keep in touch.

For Mr Lee, finding solutions to problems is nothing new.

In the early days, before mobile phones were so commonplace, CCS provided vehicle security.

He worked with The Master Locksmith Association, encryptologists, electronics specialists and the Police Scientific Development Branch to form an anti-theft scheme with Northumbria Police.

It had a lasting effect.

The project was bestowed a Home Office award and is now the standard for Thatcham approved vehicle security devices.

With such a history of delivering change for the better, Mr Lee says he now wants to position CCS as a driver in improving the telecoms industry when it comes to ethical selling.

He said: “Unfortunately the IT telecoms sector generally has a bad reputation when it comes to mis-selling.

“That’s why we are making it our aim to give our industry a much needed boost in terms of image and reputation, and are pioneering ethical selling.

“Many businesses may assume the finer details in all telecoms and IT contracts are more or less the same every time; length of contract, number of lines, the level of service you’ll receive, and so may scan through the terms and conditions rather than specifically reading each detail.

“We’ve seen many businesses caught out by common catches in these agreements, finding themselves in difficult and expensive situations and that is what we’re aiming to change.”

Mr Lee says research, carried out by his company, shows hidden contract clauses have cost North-East businesses an average of £15.70 per phone line, including landline and mobiles, and with an estimated 338,550 landlines in the North-East alone, the cost of being tied into an unwanted contract could potentially reach more than £5m.

Mr Lee added: “We see our customers as partners first and foremost and our job is to work with them to provide the best service we can, whether they are a multinational business or a local family-run business.”