Cellular One Group Marks 10th Anniversary; After a Decade of Change in the Wireless Industry, Cellular One Remains the Country's Most Enduring Brand Name.

Business Editors

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 22, 2000

This month, Cellular One Group celebrates its 10th year of marketing the most enduring and recognizable brand in wireless telephony: Cellular One.

"The combined efforts of Cellular One's member companies, operating independently under one brand, have made a significant contribution to the growth of the wireless industry," said Richard J. Lyons, president of Cellular One Group. "I believe that this is a truly unique business model that newer brands in any industry can learn from."

Launched in November 1990, Cellular One Group took on the mission of creating the first national brand name in the wireless industry. It assumed the marketing and development of the Cellular One brand, which had been launched in 1984. The Cellular One Group's vision called for the new company to:

-- Create a seamless cellular service that would span the United States.

-- Give the service one name, one graphic look and one identity from coast to
coast.

-- Ensure that the service became so dependable that Cellular One became
synonymous with quality.

In 1993, Cellular One Group made this vision a reality with its "Clear Across America" campaign, launching a new era in wireless telephony.

In the seven years since then, much has changed in the wireless industry. A bevy of other brand names have come and gone. Among them: PrimeCo, 360 Degrees and Mobil Link. Today, the Cellular One brand remains as strong and enduring as ever.

"Every two years, we commission a brand awareness survey. This year, the Cellular One brand ranked second only to AT&T," said Lyons. "That's impressive when you consider the tremendous dollars AT&T spends to promote their brand versus the small amount the Cellular One coalition spends collectively over the year."

The wireless market is very different from that of the early 1990s. Then, there was just one large wireless company competing with scores of independent carriers. Today, there are a handful of very large companies competing with the independents.

Lyons comments, "The Cellular One brand continues to offer the best hope for independent carriers to compete against larger wireless companies with multi-million-dollar budgets."

Meanwhile, Cellular One Group manages this valuable and durable brand with what is among the leanest corporate staffs in the nation. "It's not about being a big company," said Lyons. "It's about being a big brand."

Currently, 42 companies operating in 337 markets license the brand. The national Web site, www.cellularone.com, receives more than 17 million hits per month and offers service in 77% of the U.S. wireless markets.

"The Web is just one of the tools the Cellular One brand is using to compete in the new millennium," said Lyons. "We plan to continue to compliment all of our efforts with our award-winning television advertisements."

About Cellular One:

Cellular One has been one of America's most recognized brands of wireless telephony for almost 18 years, since the beginning of cellular telephone service. Cellular One now serves nearly 12,000 cities and towns throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Cellular One Group is a partnership composed of subsidiaries of Western Wireless Corporation and SBC Wireless, LLC and was formed to own, manage and promote the Cellular One brand nationwide. Visit Cellular One on the Internet at www.cellularone.com.

Cellular One is a registered trademark.