News

Stylish New Slider Handset From KYOCERA Wireless Available in Ecuador Through BellSouth

Attractive, elegant design makes Slider a "must have" for wireless customers of all ages who like to keep up with the latest technology

Ecuador -- (March 3, 2004) -- Kyocera Wireless Corp. (www.kyocera-wireless.com), a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless handsets, today announced the availability of the Kyocera Slider mobile phone to BellSouth customers throughout Ecuador. Slider is now available in more than seven countries in the Caribbean and Latin America, and will continue to expand its reach as the popularity of the phone continues to grow at a rapid pace. This most recent launch with BellSouth Ecuador demonstrates Kyocera Wireless' expansion to the region and its continued innovation in bringing quality wireless devices to mobile consumers everywhere.

Sleek and stylish, Slider features a large, 65,000-color display that slides up and down to reveal and protect the phone's keypad, making it unlike any other CDMA handset available in South America today. Also known as the Kyocera SE47, Slider is packed with the key features a user would want, including speakerphone, voice-activated dialing and enhanced two-way messaging, to name a few. Slider supports multiple language options including Spanish, Portuguese and English, and includes a scheduler, calculator, alarm clock, stopwatch and built-in contact directory.
"As mobile operators across the Caribbean and Latin America continue to deploy next-generation services, Kyocera Wireless provides operators, such as BellSouth Ecuador, innovative and affordable phones for their customers," said Julio Gaitan, regional manager, Latin America, for Kyocera Wireless. "Kyocera is strengthening its presence in the region and will continue to do so with strong relationships with key operators that are building a wireless community across the entire region."

"Utilizing CDMA2000 1X technology, BellSouth Ecuador has been successfully providing true 3G services to its customers for more than a year," said Bernardo Traversari, vice president of Marketing and Planning for BellSouth Ecuador. "New and exciting wireless devices such as the new Kyocera Slider provide quality and durability, along with style and fun for BellSouth customers in Ecuador."

The Kyocera Slider is available through BellSouth in Ecuador, and can be acquired in any customer service and sales center of the company and authorized distributors.

More information about Slider and the rest of the exciting product lineup from Kyocera Wireless Corp., including retail purchasing information, is available in Spanish at latin.kyocera-wireless.com or in English at www.kyocera-wireless.com.

About Kyocera Wireless Corp.
Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera International Inc., which acquired QUALCOMM Incorporated's CDMA consumer wireless phone business in February 2000. Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a leading supplier of innovative, feature-rich CDMA handsets and accessories for customers worldwide. Based in San Diego, California, the company is ISO-14001 and ISO-9001 certified and has won city, state and federal awards for its environmentally friendly manufacturing and recycling practices. For more information, please visit www.kyocera-wireless.com.

Kyocera Corporation, the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cameras, laser printers, copiers, solar energy systems and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2003, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled approximately US$9 billion (JP¥ 1,069,770 million) with net income of approximately US$348 million (JP¥ 41,165 million).

About BellSouth Ecuador
BellSouth is the company leader in services of celular telephony. The company has implemented diverse systems of customer service, an area that has more than 550 ready people to respond and to solve concerns through different channels. BellSouth counts on 19 Service and Sales Centers (CAV) at a national level, has made available to their clients the Call Service Center 001* and its web page: www.bellsouth.com.ec through the Contact Center.

About BellSouth Corp.
BellSouth, one of the principal telecommunications companies in the world, has been present in Latin America since 1988. Since then, BellSouth has extended its presence to 10 countries, surpassing 9.4 million clients and 11,000 employees. Currently, BellSouth International, 100% subsidiary of BellSouth Corporation, counts on operations in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

© 2004 Kyocera Wireless Corp. Kyocera is a registered trademark of Kyocera Corporation. Slider is a trademarks of Kyocera Wireless Corp. All other trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.


CONTACTS:

BELLSOUTH
Dagmar Thiel
phone: (02) 222-7700
e-mail: dthiel@bellsouth.com.ec


KYOCERA
Natasha Marvin
Kyocera Wireless Corp.
phone: 1 (305) 468-8366
e-mail: nmarvin@kyocera-wireless.com

Valerie Christopherson or Kirsten Brundahl
Bock Communications, Inc./Kyocera Media Relations, Latin America
phone: 1 (714) 540-1030 ext. 14 or 24
e-mail: vchristopherson@bockpr.com
e-mail: kbrundahl@bockpr.com