GLOBAL ONE, INTERNATIONAL JOINT VENTURE OF DEUTSCHE TELEKO2, FRANCE TELECOM AND SPRINT, BEGINS OPERATIONS International Voice/Data Services for Businesses, Carriers and Consumers RESTON, Va. and BRUSSELS, Belgium, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Global One, a dynamic new competitor in the market for global telecommunications services, today opened for business with more than 2,500 employees and 1,200 points of presence in more than 50 countries around the world. A joint venture of Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom and Sprint, Global One immediately rises to the top tier of international service providers. Global One combines and extends several businesses of its parent companies. They include Sprint International; the activities of Atlas, including eunetcom, a joint venture of Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom specializing in custom networks and outsourcing; the France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom international VSAT services, international end-to-end and global VPN services; and the Datex-P and Transpac data networks of Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom respectively, outside their home countries. The Datex-P and Transpac units in Germany and France will be integrated in Global One after January 1, 1998. "Global One is ready to provide our customers with high-quality, seamless service and the one-stop shopping they expect from a global carrier," said Chris Rooney, chairman of the Global Venture office and President CEO of Global One (World). "All it takes is a call." "We understand the needs of businesses large and small, of consumers, and of carriers. All of them need help in handling the complex array of opportunities that telecommunications represents. We're here to make it easier for them to take advantage of those opportunities," said Jean Arnould, President CEO of Global One (Europe). "Our worldwide integrated organization lets us take on challenges that will set new standards on the market. We can take our service portfolio to a broader range of customers, knowing that our infrastructure can handle the load." The approval of Global One by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission became effective yesterday. The conditions for approval already agreed with the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice are subject to formal confirmation. Key advantages to working with Global One include: * One point of contact: Locally-based global account managers handle every aspect of a customer's international communications requirements, from designing the service portfolio to billing questions. * One point of support: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, dedicated Global One service agents are ready to respond to any question or problem. * One global network: State-of-the-art technology means optimum network performance and availability. Global One business services include: * Voice solutions: Global VPN, Global Phone Card and Global Call Center. * Data solutions: Global X.25, Global Frame Relay, Global Internet and Global LAN-to-LAN. * Dedicated solutions: Global Managed Bandwidth and Global VSAT. * Applications solutions: Global Messaging, Global Enhanced Fax, Global EDI Services, IPL and Global Conferencing. * Custom network solutions: Global Systems, Global Private Networks, and Global Outsourcing. Global One offers consumers and business travelers: * Away-from-Home Services: Global Post Paid Callings Cards, Global Pre Paid Calling Cards and Global Visaphone. * At-Home/Office Services: Global IDDD, Global Dial-Up; Global Collect Call, Global Toll-Free are planned. Data, messaging and other services addressing the needs of consumers, business travelers and small and medium-sized businesses are already in the planning stages. Global One serves carriers with a full range of services, including licensed access to critical intellectual property: * Transit Services: Global Dedicated Transit, Global Switched Transit. * Transport Services: Global Hubbing, Global Link, Global Direct * Carrier Services: Global Systems, Global Service Bureaus, Global Consulting. Global One, the worldwide joint venture of Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom and Sprint, is dedicated to unifying the world for its customers through state-or-the-art, custom-tailored telecommunications. Offering a comprehensive array of advanced voice and data services to businesses, carriers and consumers, Global One provides seamless, flexible, cost- efficient solutions for every customer need. Based in Brussels, Belgium and Reston, Virginia in the United States, Global One, which has more than 2,500 employees and more than 1,200 points of presence in over 50 countries, expects first year revenues to total (U.S.) $800 million. CONTACT: Vince Hovanec, Director, Media Relations of Global One, Reston, Virginia, USA, 703-689-7737, Home, 202-462-8813, E:mail: Vince.HovanecGlobal-One.net; or Dagmar Merz, Director, Press Relations Europe of Global One, Brussels, Belgium, T: +32 2 545 2654, F: + 32-2-545-2655/