Clearnet Announces Initial Strategic Partnerships for Wireless Internet Services - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, May 22, 2000

Clearnet Communications Inc. ("Clearnet") Thursday announced multiple strategic partnerships that are enabling the development of superior infrastructure, software applications and Internet Web content in preparation for Clearnet's summer launch of wireless Internet Services for both Clearnet PCS and The Mike Network.

"Clearnet is preparing first-rate wireless Internet Services that allow very fast access speeds, easy client customizability and a multitude of information options," said George Cope, Clearnet's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We've built both the internal Internet Services infrastructure and the partnerships required to deliver unique and relevant software applications and unmatched Web content that our business and consumer clients will want and use."

Clearnet already has the highest installed base of ".com ready" phones - those equipped with microbrowser software for accessing interactive Internet Services - of any wireless provider in Canada. More than 40 per cent of the more than 600,000 Clearnet PCS and Mike clients across Canada own phones that are now .com ready; another 20 per cent own phones that can be upgraded to .com capability this summer.

Clearnet wireless Internet Services will allow clients to easily customize interactive Internet information services, including personalized news, sports, banking and other financial information, and send and receive Internet information directly to and from their phone - without the need to connect to an external device such as a computer. Mike and Clearnet PCS Internet Services will be built around a new Clearnet Web portal that allows clients to custom configure their wireless information and delivery options and manage their Clearnet PCS or Mike client accounts online.

Internet Partnerships Clearnet has built agreements with the infrastructure and content providers to provide the interactive Internet information, software applications and backbone infrastructure required to deliver its Internet Services this summer.

Clearnet Thursday announced agreements with Phone.com, Inc., i3 Mobile, Classwave Wireless Inc., Infowave Software, canada.com, CANOE, Digital Bridges, HMV.com and National Post Online. Clearnet is negotiating with several other retailers, online directories, financial institutions and other content providers to further expand its .com ready offering.

Phone.com, Inc. (www.phone.com) Clearnet is using Phone.com's UP.Link Server Suite as the key infrastructure to enable Mike and Clearnet PCS phones to connect to the Internet. The UP.Link Server Suite provides the WAP Internet connectivity, optimization, security, activity tracking and administration tools needed to implement a wireless Internet solution. It's the most robust gateway in the industry.

"The UP.Link Server Suite provides the key infrastructure for Clearnet's CDMA and IDEN networks," said Ben Linder, vice president of marketing for Phone.com. "It provides a comprehensive set of features and functionality that network operators need to host complete WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) solutions on their wireless voice and data networks."

Phone.com's UP. Browser microbrowser will be used in all of Clearnet's .com ready phones to enable access to the Internet. The Phone.com microbrowser is now the industry standard in wireless Internet technology.

Phone.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:PHCM) is a leading provider of software, applications, and services that enable the delivery of Internet-based information and voice services to mass-market wireless telephones. Using its software, wireless subscribers have access to Internet- and corporate intranet- based services, including email, news, stocks, weather, travel and sports. In addition, subscribers have access via their wireless telephones to network operators' intranet-based telephony services, which may include over-the-air activation, call management, billing history information, pricing plan subscription and voice message management. Phone.com is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California and has regional offices in Belfast, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Paris, Seoul and Tokyo.

Classwave Wireless Inc. (www.classwave.com) Toronto-based Classwave Wireless will provide Clearnet with software that enhances delivery of data services to both Mike and Clearnet PCS clients. Classwave's technology simplifies the use of Web-based text messaging systems and enables numerous enhancements that will be launched with Clearnet Internet Services this summer.

"Classwave has created a Web-based application that enables people to send text messages to Clearnet clients with enhanced features such as group distribution lists, scheduling, message expiry, message status," said Tom Sweeney, Classwave President and CEO. "This is the first of several features which will enable Clearnet and its clients to take messaging to an entirely new level."

Classwave Wireless is a Toronto-based Canadian software company with a global vision to transform the way wireless data is delivered to and from mobile devices such as wireless phones and PDAs.