'A BIG STEP CLOSER' American Portable Telecom Unveils "Aerial" as New Brand, "Aerial Communications, Inc." as New Company Name.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 1996--American Portable Telecom, Inc. (NASDAQ: APTI) today announced a significant development in the company's progress toward launch of service in early 1997. The company unveiled Aerial(SM) as the brand name by which it will market its PCS wireless telephone business in its markets. Also, American Portable Telecom announced it will begin to use Aerial Communications, Inc. as its new company name. This transition in company name will be completed by the end of 1996.

"With this announcement, we're a big step closer to realizing everything we set out to do when the FCC granted us licenses to provide Personal Communications Services to millions of Americans," said Don Warkentin, Aerial Communications' president and chief executive officer.

"We've built an entire corporate culture around serving our future customers in a way that is compelling and different from other wireless providers," Warkentin said. "We believe the new name and logo we're unveiling today communicate this in a sharply focused and stylish way.

"For example, our research shows the name and logo communicate that Aerial is perceived as human, friendly and approachable," he noted. "We also know the name and logo convey the wireless category -- again, in a highly memorable way that's unique to the industry."

The ultimate benefit to consumers of this "new and different" approach of focusing on customers' needs, according to Warkentin, is that they'll truly get the most out of PCS, which has been called the next generation of wireless communications.

Aerial was developed from an initial list of more than 600 names and was chosen based on how well it communicated a more personal style in the perception of consumers.

"We feel the new name and logo are going to represent our product -- and our company -- extremely well," Warkentin said.

The logo for the new brand has a lively, hand-drawn feel to convey a personal style. In a category dominated by heavy blues and reds, the colors used -- a warm teal and yellow -- are uncommon.

"We believe this name and logo will help us succeed, because they help demonstrate that we're a new and fiercely independent company, with a different mindset than the larger players and entrenched incumbents we're going up against," Warkentin said.

With today's announcement, Warkentin said Aerial Communications continues on target with its progress toward launch of service in early 1997. Today's announcement is the latest in a series of important developments. Since March 1995, when the company acquired licenses to provide PCS service in six markets, the company has:

-- Selected the 1900 MHz version of Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) as the technology for its digital PCS network. GSM is the proven worldwide standard in PCS, ensuring a timely introduction in the company's six regional markets.

-- Selected Nokia Telecommunications, Inc. as the primary supplier of infrastructure equipment for the buildout of its networks.

-- Initiated an on-going program to prepare a network of base stations and switching centers in each of its markets.

-- Completed an initial public offering of 12,250,000 Common shares to the public, with a portion of the net proceeds going to repay debt, and the balance to partially finance construction and operating costs associated with establishment of regional networks.

-- Established key vendor relationships with leading telecommunications support companies, including LHS Communications Systems, Inc., to supply client/server software to support billing and customer care functions; Comptel, to provide billing mediation software; Comverse Technology, to provide a state-of-the-art voice messaging platform; and Gemplus, to serve as primary supplier of Smart Cards.

-- Opened discussions to establish roaming agreements that will enable customers of Aerial Communications to use their PCS phone virtually anywhere in the country.

-- Completed construction of a new National Operations Center in Tampa; the 90,000 sq.ft. facility houses the company's National Customer Services Center, National Data Center and National Network Management Center.

Aerial Communications (NASDAQ: APTI), headquartered in Chicago, has licenses to provide PCS service in major trading areas covering 27.3 million of the U.S. population. Aerial Communications' markets include Columbus, Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Pittsburgh and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Orlando. APTI is a majority-owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (AMEX:TDS).

NOTE: Aerial is the service mark of Aerial Communications, Inc.

CONTACT: Elizabeth Tiseo of Aerial Communications, Inc.,

773-399-4385