Eircell will create more than 300 new jobs over the next two years, expanding its mobile telephone service, the company said yesterday. Some two hundred of the jobs will be Dublin-based, with some others in Dundalk.

A spokeswoman said most of the positions would be in customer care. A significant number of the new employees would form specialist teams designing products and services around the burgeoning area of electronic commerce, she added.

Staff numbers have risen from 200 three years ago to 700 now, Eircell added.

"This year has been marked by extraordinary growth in the mobile phone market, fuelled in part by our pre-paid Ready-to-Go service," said the company's chief executive, Mr Stephen Brewer.