The agreement calls for the new joint venture to provide rural telephony service in each market where Telecel owns a cellular license. Deployment of pilot projects in underserved regions of two West African countries, Ghana and Central African Republic (CAR) will begin immediately. Ultimately, the joint venture plans to offer service in at least eleven additional African countries.

Specifically, the agreement calls for two phases of execution.

Initially, Titan will supply the joint venture with a central network management control center and gateways for each of the major cities that will be tied into the local phone network, as well as Xpress Connection terminals for certain rural areas.

The Xpress Connection terminals will also provide satellite international calling capabilities. Telecel will contribute the use of licenses, in-country technical support, and facilities in which to deploy the in-country gateway equipment.

The pilot project is expected to last approximately 120 days. Upon successful completion of the pilot project, Titan will sell Xpress Connection terminals to local entrepreneurs in African countries, which will be connected to the joint venture gateways.

The joint venture will provide these new businesses with domestic and international long distance voice and data services, internet capabilities, and network management services. Titan will share in the service revenue and profit generated by the system.

"Partnering with Telecel provides Titan Wireless with the opportunity to greatly increase our penetration into an underserved market with great potential. Telecel has been successfully providing mobile wireless services in Africa for more than 12 years. Our partnership represents an ideal technical and business solution to meeting the demand for telecommunication services in emerging markets," said Gene W. Ray, Chairman, President and CEO of Titan.

"The joint venture agreement with Telecel continues the expansion of Titan's strategic objective of not just selling, installing, and integrating equipment, but also participating in the service revenue stream," Ray concluded.

"Our joint venture with Titan is an exciting opportunity for Africans. Many communities will now be able to go on-line for the first time," said Miko Rwayitare, President and CEO of Telecel.

"In addition, there is pent up demand for telecommunications services from families who want to communicate with relatives who have moved into larger African cities. We will now be able to offer families the ability to stay connected at very cost effective rates," added Rwayitare.

Titan's Xpress Connection VSAT technology is currently providing service through community telephones in Indonesia and will soon be operating in Guatemala and El Salvador.

The technology features the latest in prepaid payphone services and internet access as well as wireless local loop integration so that local entrepreneurs can have a long-term viable business.

The network control complex including all customer care functions are centrally located and utilize the latest in graphic user interfaces, remote access security, network partitioning and other features mandatory to form a multi-location, multi national operator environment.

Xpress Connection

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N.Korea Accuses US Of Double Standards
Seoul (AFP) November 23, 1999 -
North Korea on Tuesday accused the United States of applying double standards to the missile development schemes of the communist state and that of Washington's ally South Korea.