Telegroup Makes Global Access Telecard Even More Attractive
Fairfield, Iowa ("The best calling card in the world just got better," declares Steve Hathaway, Vice President of Enhanced Services for Telegroup, Inc., a leading provider of global telecommunications services. "Our Telegroup Global Access( Telecard is already notable for the many services which it provides. It's virtually an 'office-in-a-card' which(for no additional monthly fee (provides the customer with features such as voice mail, fax mail, 6-way call conferencing, call forwarding, pager notification, message delivery, message broadcasting, call completion, even wake-up calls. With the built-in voice and fax mailbox functions, your messages will reach you no matter where you are."
"Your Telecard can page you to let you know you have messages," Hathaway explains, "and you can retrieve your stored messages and faxes from any touch-tone phone or fax machine anywhere in the world. You can use the Telecard to call from more than 45 countries. And you can choose your own PIN code, including your home phone number + 4 digits."
"Now, because of the increasing efficiency of our TIGN( system (Telegroup Intelligent Global Network(), we've been able to realize a cost savings which we're passing on to our customers. Effective April 15th, we'll be lowering the rates on this excellent
card on calls from the U.S. to other U.S. and to prime international destinations."
U.S. to U.S., the rate will drop from 16.9 cents to 14.9 cents per minute for any call made within the continental U.S. "This is the lowest rate of which I'm aware for a traditional 'postpaid' calling card offered by an established telecom company to residential as well as to business customers," says Hathaway. "Even the so-called 'price leaders' offering cards in the airline in-flight magazines don't offer rates as low as this."
Internationally, Telegroup will be reducing its Telecard rates to a number of destinations by as much as 20%. For example, as of April 15th, the new calling rates from the U.S. to the United Kingdom will be 19 cents/minute; to France, 30 cents/minute; to Australia, 26 cents/minute; and to Japan, 38 cents/minute.
Telecard calls within the U.S. or from the U.S. to international destinations are billed in six second increments, with a minimum charge of thirty seconds. There is no per call access fee (other than FCC mandated surcharges on payphone calls.)
Telegroup is a leading global alternative provider of long distance telecommunications services. The company offers a broad range of discounted international, national, and enhanced telecommunications services to small- and medium-sized business and residential customers in over 200 countries worldwide. In addition, Telegroup offers value-added wholesale services to over thirty domestic and international telecommunications carriers. The company has achieved its significant international market penetration by developing what it believes to be one of the most comprehensive global sales, marketing, and customer service organizations. Telegroup operates a reliable, cost-effective, digital, facilities-based network, the Telegroup Intelligent Global
Network, which consists of a central network operating center, twenty-one switches, five enhanced service platforms, owned or leased capacity on seven digital fiber-optic cable links, and leased parallel data transmission capacity connecting Telegroup's switches to each other and the networks of other national and international carriers. Telegroup had revenues of $337 million in 1997.
Application of the Safe Harbor of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This news release contains statements which are not historical facts and may be considered forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including that Telegroup's network will allow for cost savings and Telegroup will reduce its rates. Telegroup's actual results might differ materially due to numerous factors including, without limitation, the Company's success in developing its business plan, and acquiring additional financing needed to meet this plan, foreign currency fluctuations, termination of certain operating agreements, and changes in tax law. Those and other risks are described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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