The not-for-profit organisation behind the Firefox web browser has announced handsets based on its operating system for mobile phones.

In a press conference ahead of Mobile World Congress, Mozilla said that 18 operators including Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica, were signed up.

The mobiles will go head to head with established software from Apple and Google's Android division.

Mozilla described the Firefox OS as an "open alternative". Mozilla Announces Firefox OS Smartphone Partners [bbc.co.uk]

The platform is based on the HTML5 web programming language which Mr Sullivan says gave it an advantage over Apple and Android.

"The Firefox marketplace is web-based and will allow a device to do things differently," he told the BBC.