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KYOCERA Wireless Announces First High-Speed CDMA2000 1xEV-DO PC Card Available to Canadians

KYOCERA Passport offers wireless broadband with speeds up to 2.4 MBps through Bell Canada

Toronto, ONTARIO - (October 31, 2005) - Kyocera Wireless Corp., a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless phones and devices, today announced the first CDMA2000® 1xEV-DO PC Card available to Canadians, the Kyocera Passport, now available through Bell Canada.

The easy-to-use Passport 1xEV-DO card, also known as the Kyocera KPC650, can be installed in minutes and gives laptop users high-speed wireless data access of up to 2.4 Mbps. Passport not only provides the convenience of mobile connectivity but also offers broadband access to corporate applications, e-mail, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and browsers. Additionally, Passport's high-performance antenna design allows for higher data rates and improved coverage nationwide, particularly in low signal areas.

"The Passport allows Canadians the freedom to access data at broadband speeds anytime, anywhere in the Bell 1xEV-DO coverage area," said Lee Ittner, vice president of Global Sales, Kyocera Wireless Corp. "Our success with CDMA wireless handsets, devices and telemetry modules makes us uniquely qualified to deliver on the high-speed potential of EV-DO on next-generation CDMA wireless networks."

"The Passport is the ideal tool for business users to take advantage of the new 1xEV-DO network from Bell on their laptops," said Christopher Shannon, General Manager, Hardware, Logistics, and Supply, Bell Canada. "With broadband-like download speeds, users can access critical information on their corporate networks and the Internet much faster than with other PC Cards currently available on cellular networks."

The Kyocera Passport features an adjustable rotating antenna for maximum signal strength and includes intuitive Passport Navigator software for easy installation and connection management for both EV-DO and CDMA2000 1X services. Passport also features hybrid-mode support, providing a soft handoff to CDMA2000 1XRTT service when the EV-DO broadband is unavailable.

The card boasts download speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps in EV-DO coverage areas and achieves download speeds with bursts of up to 153 kbps on CDMA2000 1X connections outside of EV-DO coverage.

Quality Partners, an independent third party test lab, named Kyocera's Passport KPC650 EV-DO PC Card up to 35 percent faster in side-by-side testing against leading competitors*.

The Kyocera Passport 1xEV-DO PC Card is 2.13 in. x 4.84 in. x 0.51 in. and weighs 2.01 ounces. The card is priced as low as $99 on a 36 month contract with Bell Canada.

About Kyocera Wireless Corp.
Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a leading supplier of innovative, feature-rich CDMA wireless devices and accessories for customers worldwide. Kyocera Wireless maintains an operating belief in the genius of simplicity and strives to make the wireless experience as simple and intuitive as humanly possible. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera International Inc., which acquired QUALCOMM Incorporated's CDMA consumer wireless phone business in February 2000. Based in San Diego, 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 (NYSE: KYO), 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, 2005, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled approximately US$11 billion (JP¥ 1,180,655 million) with net income of approximately US$429 million (JP¥ 45,908 million).

About Bell Canada Bell Canada, Canada's national leader in communications, provides connectivity to residential and business customers through wired and wireless voice and data communications, local and long distance phone services, high speed and wireless Internet access, IP-broadband services, e-business solutions and satellite television services. Bell Canada is wholly owned by BCE Inc. For more information, please visit: www.bell.ca.

 

© 2005 Kyocera Wireless Corp. All rights reserved. Kyocera is a registered trademark of Kyocera Corporation. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA). All other marks are held by their respective owners.

*Quality Partners tested the Passport against EV-DO cards available in the USA from Sierra Wireless (AirCard 580) and Novatel Wireless (V620).

 

Contacts

Fleishman-Hillard for Kyocera Wireless in Canada
Sarah Coombs
phone: 1-416-645-3647
e-mail: coombss@fleishman.com
Kyocera Wireless Corp
John Chier
phone: 1-858-882-3543
e-mail: jchier@kyocera-wireless.com
Bell Canada Media Relations
Paolo Pasquini
phone: 1-416-581-4268
e-mail: paolo.pasquini@bell.ca