To: Alejandro who wrote (8276 ) 11/5/1998 9:28:00 AM From: William Bach Respond to
CARROLLTON, Texas, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- CellStar Corporation (Nasdaq:
CLST - news) has been selected by Iridium North America to distribute
wireless phones and accessories to support the Iridium North America
World Roaming Program.
The World Roaming Program enables an Iridium customer to roam with a
conventional wireless phone across previously incompatible terrestrial
wireless networks throughout the world, using a single telephone number.
Under its exclusive distribution agreement, CellStar will provide
value-added fulfillment services as well as wireless products for global
travelers.
''We look forward to CellStar distributing phones and accessories for
the Iridium World Roaming Service,'' said Jim Walz, president of Iridium
North America. ''CellStar's ability to respond quickly to the demands of
the market place ensures that the product and fulfillment needs of the
Iridium subscriber will be met.''
''We are delighted with this opportunity to serve one of the major
gateways in the Iridium worldwide network and its customers,'' said Dick
Gozia, president and chief operating officer for CellStar. ''Our goal is
to provide high-quality products and support services that will enhance
the value of the Iridium System to its customers.''
Iridium North America is the sole owner and operator of Iridium services
in the United States, Canada, Bermuda and Puerto Rico. The Iridium
System combines the worldwide reach of 66 low-earth-orbit satellites
with additional access to multiple wireless systems and protocol
standards. Iridium North America is actively working with distribution
partners to provide customers with service that will permit any type of
telephone transmission -- voice, data, paging or fax -- to reach its
destination any time and virtually anywhere that the customer roams. The
service will facilitate communications for traveling professionals,
residents of rural or underdeveloped regions, disaster relief teams and
others.
Iridium North America, which is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, was
created by a consortium of three telecommunications leaders in the
integration of communications services: Motorola Inc. [NYSE:MOT - news],
Sprint Corporation [NYSE:FON - news] and Iridium Canada, Inc. For
additional information on the Iridium System, please visit the company's
web site at iridium.com . Iridium World Communications
(Nasdaq: IRIDF - news) is the public investment vehicle of Iridium LLC.
CellStar Corporation is a global integrated wholesaler and retailer of
wireless handsets and other wireless communications products, with
operations in North America, the Asia-Pacific Region, Latin America and
Europe. CellStar is one of the world's largest non-carrier wholesale
distributors of wireless handsets for major manufacturers. For the first
nine months of 1998, the company recorded revenues of $1.4 billion.
Additional information about CellStar may be found on its website at
cellstar.com .
The press release contains forward-looking statements, as defined in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A variety of risk
factors, including foreign currency risks, political instability,
changes in foreign laws, regulations and tariffs, new technologies,
system implementation difficulties, competition and other risk factor,
are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and most
recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which is on file with the SEC. Any
combination of these could cause CellStar's actual results to vary
materially from anticipated results or other expectations expressed in
the Company's forward-looking statements.
