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To: w2j2 who wrote (16794)	10/20/1998 12:00:00 PM
From: bananawind	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 152472

All... This release must make MOT a little red in the face. Looks like Primeco saying they have finally ripped out all that MOT infrastructure and replaced it with LU equipment. PrimeCo Investing a Half-Billion Dollars in Network Enhancements in Preparation for Future Demand for Wireless Communications Local Consumers to Enjoy Increased Reliability, New Features and Services DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 1998-- Within the next two years, one out of every three Americans will carry a wireless phone, according to projections by wireless industry analysts. PrimeCo Personal Communications, L.P., the premier regional provider of PCS/wireless service, today announced it has taken dramatic steps to prepare for this growth. The company has completed the largest network conversion in the history of the wireless industry in order to bring innovative products and services to consumers faster than ever before. PrimeCo becomes the first major U.S. PCS/a provider to operate a wireless network totally equipped by Lucent Technologies. PrimeCo's news of the enhanced reliability of its network is coupled with the announcement of several new, consumer-focused features including: Enhanced Text Messaging and Information Services -- PrimeCo customers can receive numeric pages and text messages via their PCS phone. They can also choose to receive updates from more than 18 information categories, including stock quotes, headline news and sports scores. Voice-Activated Dialing -- PrimeCo customers soon will be able to simply say the name of the person they're calling, and their phone will automatically dial the number. Automatic Call Back -- PrimeCo customers soon will be able to automatically return a call left in voice mail. The new, innovative network platform will also speed the introduction of interactive services in the next millennium. In the future, PrimeCo will focus its product development efforts on consumer friendly applications that enable subscribers to use their PCS/wireless phone to conduct simple interactive transactions such as airline, car rental and hotel reservations. The company will also move forward providing time-and-location-specific information such as traffic reports, locations of nearby restaurants and local movie listings. In the not-too-distant future, subscribers may even use their wireless phone as a powerful remote control to adjust the temperature at home, turn on exterior lights and operate their sprinkler system. ''The wireless industry is moving at lightening speed,'' said Lowell McAdam, PrimeCo's president and CEO. ''Moving to Lucent's innovative network platform maintains PrimeCo's position at the forefront of the wireless revolution. This strategic move will enable us to bring useful new products and services to customers faster than ever before.'' PrimeCo Personal Communications, which is owned by AirTouch Communications and Bell Atlantic, provides digital wireless service in more than 30 major cities in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. Sale of the company's Hawaii license and operations is pending regulatory approval. In the continental U.S., the company has PCS licenses covering 60 million potential customers in 10 major trading areas and has nearly 3,100 employees. At the end of the third quarter 1998, PrimeCo had more than 700,000 subscribers. PrimeCo phones and service are sold through the company's 83 stores and kiosks, its business-to-business direct sales force, about 2,200 indirect retailers and its toll-free telephone sales line 800/PRIMECO(SM). The address for PrimeCo's interactive Web site is www.primeco.com.