Truphone(TM) and Optus Enter Strategic Wholesale Agreement

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LONDON, March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Truphone(TM), the next generation global mobile operator today announced a strategic wholesale agreement with Optus, a leading Australian telecommunications provider. The agreement will provide Truphone access to the Optus national mobile network to deliver voice, data solutions and local mobile numbers in Australia for its newly launched Truphone Local Anywhere GSM service. Truphone plans to launch the local Australian service in mid 2010.

Truphone Local Anywhere, which launched in January 2010 for the UK and the US, makes it easier and more convenient for the international community to stay in touch while providing cost savings of up to 90 percent on standard international rates.

The service provides consumers with local numbers and access to local rates for calls, texts and data in all countries where Truphone has operations, on a single SIM card. For those countries where Truphone does not have operator agreements, Truphone Local Anywhere offers savings of up to 70 percent over normal roaming charges.

The partnership with the Australian mobile operator Optus makes Australia the third Truphone country to be announced as part of Truphone Local Anywhere's global roll out. Similar partnerships are being put together in other key travel destinations around the world.

Geraldine Wilson, CEO of Truphone said, "Truphone Local Anywhere is a truly groundbreaking service for people with an international lifestyle allowing them to 'stay local' as they travel the world. Australia has five million people travelling in and out of the country each year - and with over 1.3 million UK expats living in Australia and 100,000 Australians over in the UK, this is a key market for Truphone. Our partnership with Optus will give our customers access to what we believe is the best quality GSM network in the country."

Vicki Brady, Managing Director of Optus Wholesale and Satellite said this deal demonstrates Optus' continued leadership and innovation in the mobile wholesale market.

"We look forward to the entry of Truphone with a new tailored solution as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).

"Using Optus' operational expertise and the reach of the Optus mobile network combined with the Truphone Local Anywhere service this new mobile offering will be a strong addition when it is launched into the market," Ms. Brady said.

Truphone Local Anywhere is a single-SIM, multi-country mobile service. Users can make and receive calls via a local number and at a local price, in any Truphone country.

About Truphone

Truphone is the next generation global mobile operator providing unique, borderless mobile phone services that drastically reduce the costs of roaming and international calling and bring an end to the inconvenience of multiple phones or SIMs for different countries. It believes that its customers should enjoy local rates, rather than inflated roaming rates, anywhere that Truphone has established operations.

Most recently, Truphone has launched Truphone Local Anywhere(TM) a full global GSM service offering savings of up to 90% on call, SMS and data charges. Using just one SIM, Truphone users can now chose to have multiple local mobile numbers that enable the customer to avoid roaming charges. Customers benefit from local rates in countries where Truphone has geographical relationships and low cost international calling rates to over 220 countries.

Truphone is a true pioneer in this marketplace. The Company's first services were a range of mobile phone downloadable applications for Wi-Fi enabled phones such as the iPhone, Nokia E and N series and Android based devices, which allowed users to make free or low cost international calls.

Truphone was founded in 2006 and is the trading name of Software Cellular Network (SCN) Ltd. SCN is privately owned, funded by both venture capital investment and angel investors.

SOURCE Truphone