MACH and Accuris Networks Enable World's First Pre-Paid Inter-Standard Roaming Call for Starcomms Plc Nigeria

LUXEMBOURG, August 5, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- MACH, the leading provider of hub-based mobile communications exchange solutions, together with Accuris Networks, the leading provider of inter-standard and converged solutions, announced today that the world's first ever pre-paid inter-standard roaming call was made while roaming on to an international GSM network. The call was made possible by MACH's Inter-Standard Roaming (ISR) Solution, which uses Accuris Networks' AccuROAM inter-working platform, and as the result of an agreement signed with Starcomms Plc Nigeria to deploy MACH's ISR solutions which is a first in Africa.

Tushar Maheshwari, Chief Commercial Officer at Starcomms, commented: "We shortlisted MACH/Accuris Networks from various other vendors and are extremely happy that this partnership has resulted in making the world's first pre-paid inter-standard CDMA/GSM roaming call in a record time of 45 days."

"More than 90% of mobile subscriptions in the CDMA world today are pre-paid and typically these subscribers cannot and do not normally roam," said Guy Dubois, President and CEO of MACH. "By successfully demonstrating the first pre-paid roaming call across two wholly disparate technologies, CDMA and GSM, using MACH's ISR solution, we have taken the first step towards opening up this vast untapped market for mobile operators. This achievement is a first in the industry and firmly positions MACH as a leader in the ISR pre-paid roaming market."

The agreement between MACH and Starcomms Plc Nigeria will provide Starcomms' more than three million pre-paid CDMA customers with seamless access to international mobile roaming on GSM networks and other wireless technologies. It will also greatly expand Starcomms' international network coverage compared to its competitors.

Dubois added: "Until now, CDMA operators have been faced with a stark choice. Either they made the large capital investments in 'Box in a network' solutions and committed the high operational expenditure necessary to open up inter-standard access for their customers, or they lost revenue to local providers of GSM and WiFi services and delivered a service that fell short of customer expectations. MACH ISR managed service solutions offer a far more efficient and value added approach to delivering seamless extension of operators' home networks, without the capital and operational costs - unlocking new revenue opportunities for operators, and providing cost-effective convenience for their customers."

The ISR solution from MACH uses the Accuris Networks AccuROAM inter-working platform for voice and SMS, and MACH's own patented Mobile IP Proxy for seamless data roaming. It is delivered through a proven managed services infrastructure, and offers turnkey inter-operability between wireless technologies, including CDMA, 1X/EVDO, GSM, GPRS/UMTS, WiFi, WiMax and, soon, LTE. The solution, which can be implemented using existing connections, offers end-users all of the services that are available on their home network, even when they are travelling. With end-to-end, one number inter-operability, operators can provide complete voice and messaging services without the time and investment required to build their own platform.

"Accuris Networks has consistently led the way in providing inter-standard and inter-technology roaming solutions," said Gilbert Little, Chairman, Accuris Networks. "This latest move in conjunction with our partner MACH is the latest in a line of successful firsts. We are fully committed to continuing that trend and, in addition to supporting pre-paid inter-standard roaming, we also provide support for integrated cellular and IP networks to enable IP Offload and seamless Wi-Fi based roaming."

By adopting MACH's ISR solution, Starcomms is able to enhance customer satisfaction and increase revenues in two ways. Firstly, by providing seamless pre-paid international roaming access to customers, the operator will command a greater share of revenues that would otherwise be spent on technologies like local prepaid GSM SIM cards or hotel and airport WiFi. Secondly, the operator will further enhance customer satisfaction and increase customers' mobile usage by delivering a full portfolio of voice services and applications to customers wherever they are in the world, through one device and with one bill.

"Starcomms is dedicated to providing innovative products and services that continuously simplify and enhance the lives of our customers," said Maher Qubain, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Starcomms Plc Nigeria. "The addition of inter-standard roaming capabilities to our portfolio will provide even greater choice and deliver even higher levels of service to our customers, which will open up new and profitable revenue streams for Starcomms. Once again, Starcomms changes the CDMA landscape in Nigeria as it opens up roaming to its customers."

Starcomms will protect its existing technology investments by leveraging the MACH ISR solution's out-of-the-box compatibility with the technologies operated by roaming partners, using a single point of connectivity that provides a cost-effective extension of network coverage. The need for network installation is eliminated, shortening time-to-market and reducing capital investment. Simplified, zone-based pricing and access to GSM, CDMA and WiMAX networks through one single agreement significantly reduce operating costs so that operators can offer lower end-user prices.

About Starcomms Nigeria

Starcomms Plc, Nigeria's leading telecommunications operator and foremost triple-play (mobile, fixed wireless broadband) services provider started operation in 1999 by providing only fixed wireless services, a market segment it began to lead by 2005.The company is the first telecommunication operator to be listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and has over 3 million subscribers on its network.

A CDMA 3G Mobile network, the company is a pioneer in the provision of 3G broadband service in Nigeria, using 2000 Ev-Do. Starcomms is the first company in Africa to launch Ev-Do high speed broadband services in June 2006. The network now has nationwide mobile services, holding a 10-year (renewable) technology-neutral national unified license, which allows for a full range of telecommunication services in Nigeria as well as international gateway services.

About Accuris Networks

Accuris Networks is a leading provider of Roaming Inter-Working and Convergence solutions. Established in 1997, Accuris Networks is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with offices in the United States and Malaysia. Developed and managed by a team with unrivalled experience in service convergence and service continuity, the AccuROAM platform provides a competitive, cost effective and robust inter-working platform designed to enable seamless mobility across multiple network technologies including GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and LTE.

About MACH

MACH operates the world's leading hub-based mobile communications exchange, uniting the global telecommunications marketplace. MACH HUB-XC(R) provides the platform for the efficient exchange of mobile traffic, of service validation, delivery and billing information, and of settlement transactions. MACH is the largest provider of data and financial clearing solutions for wireless roaming and operates the world's largest open connectivity roaming hub, Link2One. Headquartered in Luxembourg, MACH has offices in 12 countries and employs more than 1,000 people worldwide. MACH serves more than 650 customers, including Orange, Telefonica, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Verizon Wireless and Microsoft, as well as enterprise messaging customers like KLM. For further information, visit http://www.mach.com.

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    Eileen Preston, Global PR Manager
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    Tel: +44(0)20-7959-8119

SOURCE MACH