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PR Newswire (U.S.)

Movida Communications Joins Forces With The Cisneros Group

Sprint And Wal-Mart To Launch New Wireless Service Targeted To Hispanic Community

February 22, 2005
Copyright © 2005 PR Newswire Association LLC. All rights reserved.

MIAMI, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Movida Communications, Inc. today announced that it has teamed with the Cisneros Group of Companies, Sprint and Wal-Mart to provide nationwide wireless voice and data services to the U.S. Hispanic market. Movida is the nation's first Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) to offer pay-as-you-go wireless communications services specifically targeting the more than 40 million Hispanics living in the United States.

Movida will provide wireless voice and data communications using the Sprint nationwide wireless network, with rate plans that cater to the needs of the domestic Hispanic market. Through its arrangement with Wal-Mart, Movida plans to sell Movida-branded handsets and cards in Wal-Mart stores in select markets as well as other retail locations in the first half of 2005. Following its initial launch, Movida intends to offer added-value features and services that are both culturally and geographically relevant to Hispanic consumers, many of which will be provided through its relationship with its primary investor Cisneros.

"Movida is about understanding Hispanic consumers and offering them products and services that help them stay connected - both with their friends and family as well as their culture," said Anthony V. Montoya, President of Movida. "We've built the perfect alliance to successfully reach this segment. With the best wireless network in the nation, the leading retailer in the country and one of the largest Latin American media and entertainment groups, we couldn't ask for a better line up to launch and grow our business."

Already the largest and fastest-growing ethnic segment in the United States, the Hispanic population is expected to grow to 17 percent of the domestic population by 2010. This, in addition to the fact that over 90 percent of Latin American wireless business comes from pay-as-you-go type services, clearly demonstrates the size of the opportunity.

Steven Bandel, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Cisneros Group, commented, "This is an exciting opportunity for The Cisneros Group since the rapidly growing U.S. Hispanic market has never been tapped by the major telecommunications providers. Our investment in Movida leverages our expertise in servicing the U.S. Hispanic market. Cisneros' ownership and relationship to many content-providing companies in the United States and Latin America such as Univision and Venevision, as well as our years of experience marketing to the Hispanic segment, will be instrumental in Movida's success in understanding and serving this market." Mr. Bandel added, "Cisneros also brings expertise in the pre-paid mobile services market through our successful participation in Telcel Venezuela, Venezuela's largest wireless provider and an industry pioneer in prepaid distribution."

Appropriately, all Movida services will be offered primarily in Spanish. Its customer care mantra, "For English press two," illustrates its Spanish focus, as well as Movida's name itself, which means "on the move." Movida's marketing programs are not traditional programs simply translated into Spanish. Instead, they exemplify the specific nuances of the language and culture as well as the needs of the segment.

This agreement enables Sprint to leverage its nationwide network to provide wireless services beyond its traditional customer base. "We're pleased to join forces with Movida to offer a uniquely different wireless experience for the growing Hispanic market," said John Garcia, senior vice president, sales and distribution for Sprint Consumer Solutions. "Our relationship with Movida is consistent with our MVNO strategy of working with complementary resellers who plan to tap underserved segments of the wireless market."

About Movida

Movida Communications, Inc. is a newly formed wireless services provider that offers pay-as-you-go wireless voice and data communications services exclusively to the U.S. Hispanic population, using Sprint's all-digital, all- PCS nationwide wireless network. As then nation's first MVNO targeted at Hispanics, Movida offers all standard custom calling features plus a suite of international voice and data services featuring culturally and geographically focused content in Spanish. Movida-branded cell phones will be available in select Wal-Mart stores across the nation as well as other major U.S. retailers. For more information on Movida, visit http://www.movidacelular.com/ .

About the Cisneros Group of Companies

The Cisneros Group of Companies is one of the largest privately held media, entertainment, technology, and consumer products organizations in the world. The Group owns or holds interests in companies ranging from broadcast television networks, pay television services and Internet service providers, to beverage businesses and supermarkets. Through its diverse businesses, the Cisneros Group of Companies delivers some of the top brands and the highest quality services to the 550 million Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking consumers in the Americas and Europe. The Group has recently expanded its activities from Ibero-America to countries worldwide.

The Cisneros Group's holdings include majority and minority interests and may be held, directly or indirectly, through partnerships, joint ventures or alliances. Some of the Group's holdings include interests in: Venevision, the leading broadcast television channel in Venezuela; Venevision International, a Spanish-language entertainment company with specialization in TV programming; Univision Communications Inc. , the number one provider of Spanish- language content to the U.S. Hispanic audience; Claxson Interactive Group Inc. (XSON), an integrated Ibero-American media and entertainment company; AOL Latin America Inc. , one of the leading Internet and interactive service providers in Latin America; DIRECTV Latin America, a direct-to-home satellite TV provider with operations across the region; Cerveceria Regional, the second-largest brewery and beer distributor in Venezuela; Backus & Johnston, the largest brewer in Peru and the sixth-largest in Latin America; and Pueblo, one of the leading supermarket chains in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit http://www.cisneros.com/ .

About Sprint

Sprint offers an extensive range of innovative communication products and solutions, including global IP, wireless, local and multiproduct bundles. A Fortune 100 company with more than $27 billion in annual revenues in 2004, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state- of-the-art network technologies, including the United States' first nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network; an award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone; and one of the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide wireless networks in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.sprint.com/mr

Web site: http://www.sprint.com/http://www.cisneros.com/http://www.movidacelular.com/

CONTACT: Hector Krauss of Movida Communications, +1-480-941-8658

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