News

KYOCERA Wireless and MTS Allstream Team Up to Offer New Cell Phone and Wireless Data Options to Manitoba Customers

Striking New CDMA Handsets Plus an Award-Winning EV-DO Rev. A PC Card and Wi-Fi Router Available Just in Time for the Holidays

SAN DIEGO & WINNIPEG, Manitoba--Kyocera Wireless Corp. (“Kyocera”), a leading global manufacturer of wireless phones and devices, and MTS Allstream Inc. (“MTS Allstream”), a leading Canadian provider of high-speed Internet and data, digital television, wireline voice and wireless services, today announced the availability of four new Kyocera products for customers in the province of Manitoba.

The new portfolio includes two striking CDMA phones, the Neo E1100 and the Mako S4000. On the data side, MTS Allstream will offer Kyocera’s KPC680 ExpressCard™ featuring CDMA2000® 1x Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) technology, and the Kyocera KR2 Mobile Router, which takes a CDMA wireless connection and creates a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot for multiple users.

“We’re delighted to begin this new relationship with MTS Allstream, and to be able to offer these exciting new cell phones and data products to consumers in Manitoba through the MTS Mobility network,” said Julio Gaitan, senior director for international sales at Kyocera Wireless. “We see strong potential for Kyocera in the Canadian market over the long term, and we’re confident that this new mix of products – offering advanced communication, good looks and Kyocera’s well-known reliability – will appeal to its consumers.”

“These new Kyocera products are a valuable addition to MTS Allstream’s exciting wireless product lineup,” said Stan Kurtas, vice president of marketing at MTS Allstream. “With multiple features and functionality, these products are an attractive choice for our customers.”

Kyocera Neo E1100

The striking new Neo E1100 camera flip phone offers a desirable mix of key features, while also making a compelling design statement thanks to the brilliant blue light-pipe that is an integral part of the phone’s external housing. As calls or messages are received, the light-pipe “comes to life,” along with a “hidden” external OLED caller-ID display that reveals caller information. With another unique twist, the phone’s reverse hinge opens to reveal a large, vibrant 2.2-inch QVGA display. Other features include a 1.3-megapixel camera with dedicated side-key control, Bluetooth^® 2.0 and speaker-independent voice recognition. Wallpaper images, either pre-loaded or from the phone’s camera, and MP3 ringtones can be set to shuffle on a regular basis. Rounding out the feature-set are picture caller ID; MMS and SMS; predictive text input for rapid text entry and BREW^® 3.1.5. Weighing just 3.2 ounces (90g), the slender phone offers talk time of up to 250 minutes and standby of up to 200 hours.

Kyocera Mako S4000

The new Kyocera Mako S4000 is a sleek, sophisticated flip phone designed to offer great style and features without breaking the bank. The phone offers a large, colour external display with colour picture caller ID and tempered edges that make it easy to flip open. Inside is a large, graduated keypad for easy typing and a vibrant 1.8-inch display. The new Mako S4000 phone features Bluetooth, a VGA camera with digital zoom, WAP 2.0 and BREW 3.1.5 to download games, contacts and more. Chock-full of productivity features such as advanced voice recognition, tip calculator, world clock, alarm clock, scheduler and much more, the new Mako S4000 also offers MMS and SMS for easy multimedia communication. Just 2.91 ounces, the Mako S4000 provides up to 250 minutes of talk time.

KPC680 ExpressCard

The KPC680 ExpressCard™ with CDMA2000® 1x Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) technology gives MTS Allstream data customers increased speed, mobility, security and productivity by simply sliding the PC card into their computers’ ExpressCard slots.

The KPC680 – which also can be used in standard PCMCIA slots using an included adaptor – will allow MTS Allstream customers faster access to e-mail, corporate data, the Internet and more. Powered by the MTS Allstream wireless broadband network, which runs on EV-DO Rev. A technology, the new Kyocera KPC680 ExpressCard delivers increased productivity and maximized performance. According to MTS Allstream, its wireless broadband network provides average download speeds of up to 3.1 MBPS download and 1.8 MBPS upload, depending on network configuration and signal strength.

The KPC680 also features a breakthrough antenna design that moves the antenna away from the device as it is opened, providing greater sensitivity, and dual external antenna ports for added flexibility.

KR2 Mobile Router

The new Kyocera KR2 Mobile Router takes a single CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rel. 0 or Rev. A connection and creates a mobile Wi-Fi hot spot using 802.11b, g or n technologies, allowing simultaneous connectivity for multiple PCs. It also offers four Ethernet LAN ports to connect non-Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Along with fail-over capabilities, the KR2's enhanced feature set bolsters security by supporting Wi-Fi Protected Setup Mode via a dedicated button used during the Wi-Fi pairing process. The easy-to-use Kyocera KR2 Mobile Router can be installed in minutes virtually anywhere and provides high-speed Internet and data access for multiple users. Along with the Protected Setup Mode, the device features VPN-L2TP and enhanced encryption for network security.

The KR2 Mobile Router supports PCMCIA, ExpressCard and USB devices for wireless connectivity and features 802.11n (Draft 2.0) for longer-range, faster Wi-Fi connections to terminal devices such as laptop computers. Building on the success of Kyocera's groundbreaking KR1 Mobile Router, the KR2 also can act as a conventional router, plugging into cable or DSL modems to provide fail-over capability to an EV-DO connection during wired-network interruptions.

All four products are available throughout the MTS Allstream network of distributors and dealers. For consumers who contract service for two years, the Mako S4000 is now available at no charge while the Neo E1100 is available for $39.99. The KPC680 card is offered at $49.99 with a three-year service contract, or $99.99 with a two-year service contract.

About MTS Allstream

MTS Allstream Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., and is one of Canada's leading national communication solutions providers, delivering innovative products and services through the Enterprise Solutions and Consumer Markets divisions. The Enterprise Solutions division, which operates under the Allstream brand nationally and under the MTS Allstream brand in Manitoba, is a leading competitor in the national business and wholesale markets. This division offers customers a portfolio of solutions tailored to the needs of medium and large businesses looking for success in a world of rapidly evolving technology – Internet protocol connectivity, unified communications, IT consulting and security services, and voice and data connectivity services. The Consumer Markets division leads every telecommunications market segment in Manitoba, delivering a full suite of next generation wireless, high-speed Internet and data, digital television and wireline voice services under the MTS brand, as well as small business services in select markets across Canada under the Allstream brand, and security and alarm monitoring services through AAA Alarm Systems Ltd., an affiliate of MTS Allstream which also operates in other western provinces. MTS Allstream's extensive national broadband fibre optic network spans more than 24,300 kilometres, and provides international connections through strategic alliances and interconnection agreements with other international service providers. Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (trading symbol: MBT). For more information, please visit: www.mtsallstream.com.

About Kyocera Wireless Corp.

Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a leading supplier of innovative, feature-rich CDMA wireless devices and accessories for customers worldwide. 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, Kyocera Wireless leverages Japan’s history of creating advanced consumer technologies around humanism and respect for the environment and blending them with a Western entrepreneurialism and style, resulting in a unique design language and a natural, user-friendly interface. 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, laser printers, copiers, solar energy systems and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2008, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled approximately US$12.9 billion (JP¥1,290,436 million) with net income of approximately US$1.0 billion (JP¥107,244 million).

 

Contacts

MTS Allstream Inc.
Jill Gibson
Corporate Communications Coordinator
204-958-3392
media.relations@mtsallstream.com
or
Kyocera Wireless Corp.
Alison Klapper León
International Corporate Communications
305-351-0268 (office)
305-323-9507 (mobile)
alisonk@kyocera-wireless.com