Pacific Bell Mobile Services Opens Sacramento "Smart" PCS Retail Store In Loehmann's Plaza

Grand Opening April 24 through April 26 Grand Opening April 24 through April 26

Sacramento, California, April 23, 1998

Pacific Bell Mobile Services (PBMS), which launched its Personal Communications Services (PCS) network in the Sacramento region in March 1997, has opened its second Sacramento retail store in Loehmann's Plaza, with a grand opening celebration scheduled for April 24 through April 26.

According to Andy Wilson, president and general manager for PBMS' Sacramento region, the new retail outlets are aimed at helping consumers understand the myriad wireless service offerings currently on the market and at better positioning Pacific Bell Mobile Services against its competition.

"As more wireless companies enter the highly-competitive marketplace, consumers are faced with a staggering assortment of phones, services, technologies and features," Wilson said. "Our retail presence allows us to provide our customers with an easy way to learn about our products and services and demonstrate why Pacific Bell Mobile services offers the best wireless service in this region."

A recent survey by an independent marketing research firm ranked PBMS' PCS network as the number one network performer with the best call quality in the Sacramento area.

Wilson said that during the three-day grand opening celebration, customers purchasing a new PCS phone will also be offered grand opening specials. In addition, he said that everyone coming to the store during the grand opening period is encouraged to sign up to win an Ericsson 788, valued at over $400, that will be given away on Saturday, May 9. To be eligible, the winner need not make a purchase nor be present during the drawing.

"People want the benefits of a wireless phone, yet they aren't always sure how to buy one or choose the service plan that best meets their lifestyle needs," Wilson said. "Our goal is not only to offer great service---both in and out of the stores---but to provide an educational environment in which consumers can test the technology and make an educated decision. We want to make it easy and convenient for consumers to do business with us."

Customers who visit the new Loehmann's Plaza store during the grand opening will have an opportunity to meet and discuss phone features with service representatives from the major phone manufacturers. Customers can see first-hand how features such as built-in voice mail, pager and Caller ID operate. They can also learn how to use call waiting, call holding and conference call capabilities or test the two-way paging and text-messaging features. The Smart Chip, which uses encryption technology that virtually eliminates eavesdropping and cloning, operates on the Global Systems for Mobile Communications technology (GSM) and makes many of these features possible.

The new store will be open Monday - Thursday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.; and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. The phone number for the store is (916) 480-2727.

Pacific Bell Mobile Services is a company of SBC Communications Inc., a global leader in the telecommunications industry, with more than 33 million access lines and 5.5 million wireless customers across the United States, as well as investments in telecommunications businesses in 10 countries. Under the Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell, Nevada Bell and Cellular One brands, SBC, through its subsidiaries, offers a wide range of innovative services, including local and long-distance telephone service, wireless communications, paging, Internet access, and messaging, as well as telecommunications equipment, and directory advertising and publishing. SBC (www.sbc.com) has more than 116,000 employees and reported 1997 revenues of $25 billion. SBC's equity market value of $67.3 billion (as of December 31, 1997) ranks it as one of the five largest telecommunications companies in the world.