AirTouch Cellular Introduces Only Southern California-Wide Cellular Calling Card.

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 1997--Following one of the hottest communications trends in Europe, AirTouch Cellular has introduced Prepaid Cellular Service, offering consumers new options and control over their wireless spending.

AirTouch Cellular offers the only prepaid cellular calling card that provides service throughout Southern California at a flat price per minute, with no roaming or long distance charges for calls made from the region to anywhere in the United States.

AirTouch Prepaid Cellular Calling Cards are easy to buy, easy to use and easy to understand with no credit check, contract, monthly charges or cellular bills. As simple as the name implies, consumers pre-pay for cellular service by purchasing cards in $30 increments. There is also a one-time initiation fee, which may vary by retailer, but is typically $30.

"The use of cellular calling cards is booming in our international markets. In Portugal, for example, 40 to 50% of all new wireless business is being generated from prepaid cellular," said Nancy Hobbs, executive vice president and general manager, AirTouch Cellular, Southern California.

"Prepaid service is the ideal solution for consumers who want more control over their wireless spending, and students, members of the military, or anyone else living in Southern California on a temporary basis."

The Prepaid Cellular program continually keeps callers updated on their spending through an announcement at the beginning of each call indicating the minutes left on their current account, and an announcement at the end of each call indicating the remaining dollar amount. Consumers can easily add money to the account at any time by dialing "Star 611," which is free of airtime charges, or stopping by a retail location.

"AirTouch Prepaid Cellular Calling Cards make cellular affordable because it's easy to manage my bill," said Don Mason, owner of Rhythm Television Entertainment, a production company in San Diego.

"Now I can use cellular service to enhance my business -- but I control the costs. I simply use it until the money is gone."

Airtime charges for the Prepaid Cellular Calling Card are seventy-five cents per minute including long distance charges for calls from the home calling area of San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Roaming (use of the service outside of the home calling area) is available in hundreds of cities throughout the United States for $1.75 per minute.

AirTouch Communications is a global wireless communications company, with interests in cellular, paging, and personal communications services in the United States, Belgium, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, Spain and Sweden, as well as an interest in the Globalstar satellite system. The company, based in San Francisco, serves over 9 million proportionate customers worldwide. AirTouch's cellular division serves more than 3.7 million customers in the United States, including the nation's largest cellular market in Los Angeles.

CONTACT: AirTouch Cellular, Irvine

Melissa May, APR 

714/222-8781

Pager: 714-509-5601

E-mail: [e-mail]

website: www.airtouch.com/la

or

Lisa Ackerman

619/625-7890

Pager: 619/290-0573

E-mail: [e-mail]