Eurotel Introduces Internet Billing Option, Wireless Messaging Service to Czech Market

PHILADELPHIA —

EuroTel Praha, the Czech Republic's largest wireless communications provider and a Bell Atlantic wireless investment, has introduced the country's first Internet-based account management service for mid-to large-sized business customers looking for a real-time, secure, and convenient way to access their account information and manage the costs associated with their mobile services.

Encrypted files containing monthly billing details can be viewed by account, by group, by user, and even by individual call from any computer with Internet access and a web browser. The information can then be transferred to internal customer accounting systems for additional report tailoring, analysis, and records archiving.

EuroTel Praha is one of the first mobile network operators in the world to offer this level of online service.

To tap the growing Czech demand for wireless messaging, EuroTel has also introduced Short Messaging Service (SMS), which allows customers to transmit voice, short messages, and data files through the same wireless service package using their GSM digital phones.

SMS expands the range of applications that can be served by wireless networks, including fleet management, credit card verification, stolen vehicle tracking, alarm monitoring, and remote meter reading. The service uses the Global Positioning System (GPS) to record and transfer data to the mobile network.

To improve management of its widening array of new services, a customer base over 400,000, a network of some 1,600 transmitting sites, five switches, and other physical plant, EuroTel has also built a new network monitoring center in Prague. Technicians at the new facility remotely monitor every network element through a single graphical interface, and track service alarms, including natural and mechanical hazards.

The system also provides a link to EuroTel's customer care center to aid in trouble ticketing and customer notification. Large screens project various levels of network detail, allowing specialists to quickly see the status of EuroTel's network, inform customer care and field technicians, and remedy network issues before they affect customers.

Bell Atlantic is one of the world's largest wireless communications companies, with domestic operations in 25 states and international investments spanning Latin America, Europe and the Pacific Rim. For information on our global operations, visit http://www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.

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