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GSM ASSOCIATION: Response to Californian Congressman Darrell Issa's

Mar 28, 2003 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- "Congressman Issa's intervention that GSM is an 'outdated French standard' is as ill-timed as it is misinformed. At the moment our first priority must be to offer our support and sympathies to the people putting their lives on the line to liberate Iraq.

The right time to debate the technology will be when the real conflict is over. And at that time we should look at the real facts, not the Congressman's ill advised opinion. To suggest that GSM is simply a European or French standard is, in the current climate, quite outrageous.

* GSM stands for 'Global System for Mobile Communications' and its users can roam throughout the world on the same phone with the same number.

* GSM is used by almost one billion consumers and on every continent of the world, with 550 operators across 193 countries.

* GSM is a worldwide standard accounting for 72 per cent of the digital wireless market today.

* GSM is an 'open standard', which means any manufacturer from any country can make GSM equipment on a 'level playing field' - including North American companies such as Motorola, Lucent and Nortel. Global manufacturers supporting this open standard include Samsung, Panasonic, NEC, Toshiba, Nokia, Ericsson, Mitsubishi, Siemens and many more.

* Major network operators in the USA offer GSM services such as AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, T-Mobile USA and in Canada it is provided by Microcell.

* GSM is already deployed in every country of the Middle East region - CDMA is not deployed in any.

* GSM was installed in Afghanistan post-war by an American company (TSI of New York) after a full tender process.

Today, there are more than 20 Arab countries with GSM networks and 60 million customers in the region. Iraq, of course, has been under UN Sanctions and therefore has not been able to purchase GSM technology.

Therefore, the suggestion that CDMA technology be deployed in Iraq post-war is completely at odds with the rest of the region and the majority of the world. It would add to the country's isolation and arguably be at odds with the overall war effort.

I can't believe someone has started this debate at this time, and I certainly can't believe it has been started from such a false position and on such nationalistic terms."Richard Fogg Companycare Communications Ltd.

About the GSM Association:

The GSM Association (GSMA) is the world's leading wireless industry representative body. It consists of more than 690 second and third generation wireless network operators working collaboratively to accelerate the implementation of collectively identified, commercially prioritised operator requirements. The Association's members provide digital wireless services to more than 825 million customers in 193 countries of the world (end February 2003).

The GSM family of wireless communications platforms, including GSM, GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution) and W-CDMA account for approximately 72 percent of the total digital wireless market today. The GSM Association is a unique organisation, with truly global reach, offering a full range of business and technical services to its members. For more information, visit the website at www.gsmworld.com. GSM is a registered trademark, registered and owned by the GSM Association. "GSM - The Wireless Evolution"

CONTACT: Richard Fogg, Companycare Communications Tel: [phone] e-mail: [e-mail]

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