The endorsement from Telefnica O2 Europe head Matthew Key and colleagues at the Telefnica Digital conference on Friday is welcome backing for a project that is only days out of the block after spending a year of development as project 'Boot to Gecko'.

As far as the Firefox OS is concerned, it could be a case of being the right newcomer at the right time.

"The first handset cost is sub-$100 and will be launched before Q1 in Brazil. We can produce the same experience on Android cheaper, or a better experience at the same price," Key as telling attendees.

"We're overly reliant on Android and that's not a strategically strong position to be in," he said.

To emphasise its commitment, the company used the event to show off a handset running the new OS which officials described as running well with fewer resources than its rivals.