ASIA-PACIFIC, 29 June 2005 - The Asia Mobility Initiative (AMI) has received a boost with the Telekom Malaysia’s group of Malaysian and regional companies joining its ranks. Celcom, Malaysia’s leading mobile operator and TM International, Telekom Malaysia’s overseas investment arm, bring with them more than 13 million subscribers into the AMI footprint.

Formed in 2003, AMI was the first Asian alliance to be set up to enhance the mobile experience of mobile subscribers within and across countries of member operators.

M1 (Singapore), Smart (Philippines), DTAC (Thailand), Telstra (Australia) and CTM (Macau), with a combined subscriber base of some 37 million, are the other members of AMI.

Welcoming the new members to the AMI family, Executive Director of AMI, John Murray, said: “The enlarged membership of AMI will enhance our critical mass to grow and explore new undertakings. It has been a very challenging formative period for the alliance but we have also very quickly and successfully launched several marketing and technical initiatives. These initiatives have resulted in very tangible benefits for member operators and their customers.”

“Some of these initiatives include AsiaConnect which has a simplified tariff for roaming service, and a full “home away from home” experience for our business customers We have agreement on a set of customer focused KPIs and benchmarking of key vendors in the procurement area. We are also planning to move on to other areas and provide a seamless prepaid roaming service for the leisure traveller“ he said.

Note to Editors

AMI’s Memorandum of Understanding provides for collaboration among members to offer subscribers easier access and an enhanced experience in mobile data services by providing them with the same standards of seamless and data communications that they currently enjoy with voice calls. This is to be achieved by facilitating content sharing, inter-operability, co-operation on new platforms and devices and sharing of best practices.

AMI members will also benefit in terms of improved speed to market of new products, sharing of new product development experiences and costs. AMI is not an exclusive group and members are free to both maintain and enter into new bilateral arrangements with other operators and third parties where necessary.