AirTouch Communications and Corsair Communications deploy PhonePrint System in Los Angeles market to combat cellular fraud; Advanced technology system designed to deny criminal access to AirTouch network.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 1995--AirTouch Communications Inc. (NYSE:ATI) announced today it will widely deploy the PhonePrint fraud control system in its Los Angeles market.

The deployment is another step in AirTouch's efforts to lead the cellular industry in reducing cellular fraud. The PhonePrint system, manufactured by Corsair Communications of Sunnyvale, Calif., uses radio frequency fingerprinting technology to perform pre-call validation, which actually blocks fraudulent access to cellular networks.

AirTouch and the PhonePrint team partnered in 1993 to co-develop the system, which was extensively tested during 1994 in ten Los Angeles market cell sites. Corsair Communications spun out from TRW as a privately funded company in December 1994.

"We want to lead the industry in pre-call validation technology, and the deployment of PhonePrint takes us a long way in that direction," said Don Winters, director of technology transfer at AirTouch Communications. "Pre-call validation allows us to keep criminals off our network, which in turn reduces costs incurred by fraud and increases capacity for our paying customers to use the AirTouch network."

PhonePrint identifies and blocks cellular telephone calls placed by criminals who have stolen cellular telephone identification numbers and programmed them into "clone" cellular phones. The system uses radio frequency fingerprinting technology that detects illegal phones by measuring in real time the unique characteristics of each phone's radio signal.

Within seconds -- usually the time it takes to process a call setup -- PhonePrint can measure the signal to determine whether the call is originating from a legitimate caller. If not, PhonePrint will block the clone's access to the cellular network.

The operational deployment in Los Angeles is the first major sale of the system by Corsair Communications. "We're delighted to have the opportunity to help AirTouch in its efforts to shut down cellular fraud in its Los Angeles market," said Mary Ann Byrnes, president of Corsair.

"We see the PhonePrint system as part of an industry-wide solution to the fraud problem, and AirTouch is leading the industry by implementing this system in Los Angeles. We expect to continue working closely with AirTouch and others to anticipate new kinds of cellular fraud and develop solutions to them."

"The deployment of PhonePrint adds a powerful new weapon to our arsenal for curbing and eventually eliminating cellular fraud," said Dave Daniels, AirTouch Communications' corporate director of fraud management.

"At AirTouch, we've had great success in reducing fraud and earning our customers' confidence in the integrity of our network and its billing system. With the combination of the PhonePrint system and our fraud control measures, we should be able to significantly reduce the impact of fraud on our customers."

AirTouch Communications is involved in cellular, paging, vehicle location, and international ventures in many of the world's top markets, including the United States, Japan, Germany, Sweden, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, South Korea and Thailand. The company, headquartered in San Francisco, serves more than 3.1 million customers worldwide. It was spun off from Pacific Telesis Group on April 1, 1994.

Corsair Communications, founded in December 1994, is headquartered in Sunnyvale. The company develops and provides technology-intensive application solutions to the wireless telecommunications industry.

CONTACT: AirTouch

Melissa May, 714/222-8781

fax, 714/222-7113

Corsair

Bill Taliaferro, 408/752-2686

fax, 408/752-2803