THE LARGEST CELLULAR PHONE OPERATOR IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC - REPORTS QUARTERLY RESULTS


EuroTel (Praha) the largest cellular operator in the Czech Republic, provided services to more than 316,000 customers at the end of September. This represents a year-over-year growth of in excess of 250% from the same period last year. EuroTel's total revenues for the first 9 months through the end-of-September were in excess of 7.4 billion CZKc, which represents a year-over-year growth of in excess of 175%. Approximately 251,000 customers used mobile phones on the EuroTel GSM Global network and another 65,000 on the EuroTel Classic network. EuroTel is the only provider in the Czech Republic which allows mobile phone users to choose between the digital GSM and the analogue NMT systems.

The EuroTel GSM Global signal currently covers 81% of the territory and 88% of the population. "We expect that in 1998 the GSM signal coverage will approach the NMT system's geographic coverage level," said Mac Allman, EuroTel's Managing Director. "For the further development of the GSM system including the increasing of in-building coverage and overall signal quality throughout the Czech Republic, we will use the financing from the U$D 400 loan facility that was extended to EuroTel this October by a consortium of domestic and international banks."

EuroTel offers the least expensive program of services on the domestic market. The EuroTel "Start" and EuroTel "Ideál", with monthly access fees of only 295 CZKc; the EuroTel "Region" program for customers who make calls mainly within their home region; and, other programs (EuroTel "Optimum", EuroTel "Global", and EuroTel "Business") designed for customers with specific needs. This September, EuroTel introduced the new "Vikend" service package that can be added to any of its service price plans with a monthly access fee of only 95 CZKc which allows calls for only 1 CZKc per minute per month on Saturdays, Sundays and State holidays.

"In the immediate future, we expect another significant increase in the number of customers," added Mac Allman. "In fact, new services such as "Víkend", and the pre-paid "GO" card to be launched in a few days, are services that have been created to meet the individual needs of our customers at tariffs that are continually being brought closer to the rates for fixed lines."

EuroTel has signed roaming agreements with sixty-five partners, enabling the use of GSM mobile phones in 42 countries. You can use EuroTel GSM Global mobile phones, for example, in Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Bosna-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, South Africa, Cyprus, Lebanon, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Austria, Romania, Russia, Greece, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, the United States, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and in Great Britain.

EuroTel (Praha) is a joint venture of SPT Telecom Inc. (51%) and Atlantic West B.V. (49%). Atlantic West B.V. is a joint venture equally owned by Bell Atlantic (NYSE:BEL) and US WEST International, part of the US WEST Media Group (NYSE:UMG)




Prague, 6 November 1997