Hi All,
Just wanted to pass on the following press release. It looks like Brite may finally be getting their act together on prepaid wireless. This announcement coupled with the joint NTC press release in the last two weeks, shows that they are definelty tired of losing out on the prepaid wireless market. The reason behind this was Brite's inability for customers to roam with their prepaid phones. This was a shortcoming in the application that caused carriers to go to other competitors that are attempting to solve the roaming issue. Hopefully, the NTC alliance will solve this key issue for Brite. I noticed a previous post stating that the press release with NTC did not appear to reveal anything substantial. This lack of roaming capability was what Brite was attempting to address without blatently expounding on their application's shortcoming. Hope this helps everyone. Here's the latest release:
Brite Will Provide Prepaid Calling Service to Cellular One Kansas/Missouri Subscribers August 28, 1997 5:49 PM EDT
WICHITA, Kan., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellular One Kansas/Missouri has chosen Brite Voice Systems (Nasdaq: BVSI) to provide prepaid wireless service to Cellular One subscribers in Wichita, Topeka and Lawrence, Kan., the Kansas City metropolitan area, and St. Joseph, Mo.
Cellular One prepaid subscribers will enjoy "local calling" features within these areas, with no roaming charges.
"Brite's system also will be key to allowing Cellular One to offer service to a broader range of customers, especially those who have thought they couldn't afford cellular service," said Cellular One General Manager and Vice President Jeffrey Harkman.
Potential prepaid subscribers include students and young adults who lack a credit history; business people on temporary assignment who need short-term service; and those who don't meet traditional credit requirements.
Brite will supply prepaid to Cellular One on a turnkey, managed services basis -- as it does for Radiofone in Louisiana -- an option that requires no equipment purchase. Brite's managed services approach helps clients get products to market quickly, while saving on startup costs. Wireless providers also can choose to own and operate the equipment, as Ameritech Cellular does.
"We are pleased to have earned Cellular One's business and we are committed to assuring that their subscribers get the best prepaid service in the market," said Brite Vice President Ray Naeini.
"Prepaid wireless service is a plus for both the wireless carrier and subscribers," Naeini continued. "It will dramatically broaden Cellular One's market reach and provide it with significant competitive advantages in the area.
"For Brite, the agreement with Cellular One exemplifies our strategy to optimize growth by expanding Brite's reach into the services market," Naeini added. Cellular One Kansas/Missouri provides cellular voice and data, and paging services in the Kansas City metropolitan area, and markets in Wichita, Lawrence and Topeka, Kan., and St. Joseph, Mo.
Brite launched the industry's first wireless voice-activated dialing product nearly four years ago, and continues to dominate the worldwide marketplace for voice dialing. Every day millions of people use Brite's information and communications products and services to save time, stay informed and simplify daily tasks. The company has operations throughout the U.S. and in Europe, and offices worldwide. SOURCE Brite Voice Systems
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