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To: JMD who wrote (22040)	1/27/1999 4:45:00 PM
From: bananawind	Respond to of 152472

To All: Wireless highlights from the Bell Atlantic report. 4Q subscriber adds for BAM, Primeco, and Iusacell (mexican cdma operator) Bell Atlantic's domestic properties capped a year of sustained growth with a strong fourth quarter. Bell Atlantic Mobile (BAM) added 302,000 customers in the quarter -- 10,000 more than in fourth quarter 1997 -- and grew its subscriber base to 6.2 million, 16 percent above year-end 1997. The introduction of DigitalChoice SingleRate price plans in September helped BAM grow its digital subscriber base to more than 950,000 by year-end. Approximately 40 percent of BAM busy-hour calls were on its digital networks. Demand for PCS service in the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest fueled strong growth at PrimeCo Personal Communications, with fourth quarter subscriber additions of 196,000 bringing PrimeCo's total subscriber base to 902,000, up 133 percent over year-end 1997. PrimeCo's year-end penetration rate of 2.2 percent of covered POPs was double the year-end 1997 rate. Other domestic highlights: * BAM's total quarterly revenues were $923 million, 13 percent above fourth quarter 1997. Total BAM revenues for the year were almost $3.5 billion, up 12 percent over 1997. * BAM's continued focus on expense control reduced acquisition costs per subscriber by 15 percent to $184, compared to $217 in the prior-year period. Cash expense per subscriber for the quarter was $25. * BAM operating cash flow for the quarter was $343 million, up 9 percent over the prior-year period. Operating cash flow margin in the fourth quarter was 43 percent and 45 percent for the year. Quarterly operating income of $202 million brought the full-year total to $821 million. Dilution of total revenue per subscriber declined to 3.2 percent in the quarter, nearly a full percentage point lower than the full-year figure of 4.3 percent. * Total PrimeCo revenues for the quarter grew 98 percent over fourth quarter 1997 to $154 million. Year-end revenues were $509 million, compared to $208 million in 1997. Average monthly revenue per subscriber was $53 in the quarter, and $57 for the year. The Group's portfolio of international investments rode the strong popularity of prepaid wireless services and the increasing adoption of wireless as an alternative to landline service to produce a growing share of Global Wireless revenue and operating cash flow. International proportionate net subscriber additions for the quarter totaled 336,000, almost double the prior-year period. International year-end proportionate subscribers totaled approximately 2 million, up 144 percent over 1997. International proportionate revenues for the quarter were $276 million, almost double fourth quarter 1997, bringing the year-end total to $856 million, $393 million more than 1997. Proportionate operating income in the quarter grew to $41 million, $24 million over fourth quarter 1997. Quarterly operating cash flow grew to $83 million, totaling $250 million for 1998, 180 percent over the prior year. Other international highlights: * Omnitel Pronto Italia, Bell Atlantic's Italian wireless investment, added more than a million customers in the quarter to pass the six-million customer milestone. Omnitel is the third-largest GSM network wireless operator in Europe. * Grupo Iusacell in Mexico ended the quarter with approximately 755,000 subscribers, an increase of 89 percent over year-end 1997. During the year Iusacell adopted a number of Bell Atlantic Wireless Group strategies, including new customer care and billing systems and a redesigned chain of retail stores, to prepare for the arrival of new competition in Mexican wireless markets in 1999.