Ericsson Launches the I 888 World - One Phone, Two Networks, Five Continents.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 1998--Ericsson today unveiled a mobile phone, which offers international travelers to communicate with one phone in more than 120 countries, in Europe, Africa, Asia/Pacific and the Americas.

The I 888 World dual band mobile phone for GSM 900/1900 frequencies is a global phone in the real sense of the word and lends new meaning to the term "global village".

In the past, people would sometimes have to buy, borrow or lease another mobile phone because of incompatible network technologies when traveling. International travel also meant carrying numerous phone jack adapters for data communications such as e-mail and Internet access. With a built-in infrared modem, Ericsson's I 888 World solves that problem by giving travelers trouble free communication with their PC, laptop, or hand held communicator. This makes it simple to check e-mail, browse the Internet or log on to a corporate network without carrying cables and searching for a compatible phone jack.

In addition, travelers would carry several electrical outlet adapters to recharge batteries. The I 888 World's travel charger has five different plugs that are compatible with the different voltage requirements and socket styles around the world. "In offering intelligent network search between GSM 900 and 1900 networks we want to eliminate the wireless communications barriers that exist between many countries at present," said Jan Edhall, vice president Business Group GSM and other European Standards.

"Ericsson's response to these limitations is to introduce a phone which uses two networks and therefore can function effectively in five continents."

The I 888 World features an active flip, which is both stylish and functional. You simply open it to begin a call and close it to end one. Its Enhanced dot matrix display affords superb readability while the Enhanced Full Rate Speech Coding improves the sound quality to a level that it can easily be compared to fixed wired calls.

Additionally, I 888 World supports GSM phase 2 services including Conference Call, so you can set up a conference call with up to 5 people, no matter where you are. Alternate Line Service lets you have two subscriptions on one SIM-card if you want to have separate phone numbers and bills for business and private calls. A full range of matching accessories with a 1-year worldwide warranty is also available.

The Ericsson I 888 dual band phone will be available across all GSM 900 and 1900 markets worldwide, starting at the end of the year 1998.

Other features of the Ericsson I 888 World: - Last Dialed Number to reach the last 15 dialed numbers - Received Calls to show the last 10 received calls - Missed Calls to show the last 10 missed calls - Weighs 201g with kit battery - Phone Book to store 99 numbers with accompanying names in addition tothose on the SIM card - 15 ring signals, including melodies and Own Melody - Compatible with Ericsson Mobile Data products like MC 16.

Additional information about Ericsson and its products is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ericsson.com

Ericsson's 100,000 employees are active in more than 130 countries. Their combined expertise in fixed and mobile networks, mobile phones and infocom systems makes Ericsson a world-leading supplier in telecommunications.