Back to press releasesNewark, N.J., October 22, 2003 – IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT, IDT.C) today announced the launch of IDT Global Access, a service that allows all U.S. based cell phone users to make low cost international calls with rates up to 80% less than those charged by cellular providers.
“We’ve given cell phone users the world,” said Howard Jonas, IDT’s Founder and Chairman. “Cell phones revolutionized the way business is done. Now we’ve revolutionized cell phone service. IDT Global Access lets more than 140 million U.S. cell phone users call just about anywhere in the world at IDT’s famous low rates.”
IDT Global Access provides international access from any cell phone regardless of wireless plan. There’s no need to change phones, service providers or service plans. Customers can sign up online at www.idtglobalaccess.com or by calling 1-866-444-9799. The service is also available to retail distributors through IDT’s Private Label division.
“Only a fraction of all international long distance calls originating in the U.S. are made from cellular phones. IDT Global Access will change that,” said Jim Courter, IDT’s CEO. “Convenient and cost effective, IDT Global Access is a cell phone service upgrade that lowers rates. For the business community this means more versatile communications and improved productivity. For IDT it means access to the growing wireless market.
IDT Global Access provides international rates lower than those charged by many long distance companies for traditional landline phone service. For example: the IDT Global Access rate to the UK and Germany is only 6¢ per minute and to Japan 7¢ per minute. No monthly fees or other extra charges are added to the cost of the call.
Once an account is activated, customers simply dial the toll-free access number, or enter it into their speed dial, then enter their destination number. IDT Global Access is not restricted to just cell phones; customers can make IDT Global Access calls from their home phones as well.
IDT Corporation, through its IDT Telecom, Inc. subsidiary, is a facilities-based, multinational carrier that provides a broad range of telecommunications services to its retail and wholesale customers worldwide. IDT Telecom, by means of its own national telecommunications backbone and fiber optic network infrastructure, provides its customers with integrated and competitively priced international and domestic long distance telephony and prepaid calling cards. IDT and Liberty Media Corporation own 95% and 5% of IDT Telecom, respectively. Liberty Media Corporation also owns a 5.6% stake in IDT Media. IDT Media, Inc. is the IDT subsidiary principally responsible for the Company’s initiatives in media, new video technologies and print media. Winstar Holdings, LLC is the IDT subsidiary through which we provide broadband and telephony services to commercial and governmental customers through a fixed-wireless and fiber infrastructure. In December 2002, we announced that the services offered by Winstar would begin to be offered under the name “IDT Solutions.” Net2Phone, Inc., a subsidiary of IDT Corporation, is a leading provider of high-quality global retail Voice over IP services, either directly or via a partner.
IDT Corporation common shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols IDT and IDT.C.
In this press release, all statements that are not purely about historical facts, including, but not limited to, those in which we use the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate, “target” and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgment of what may happen in the future, actual results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these statements due to numerous important factors, including, but not limited to, those described in our most recent report on SEC Form 10-K (under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”), which may be revised or supplemented in subsequent reports on SEC Forms 10-Q and 8-K. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following: potential declines in prices for our products and services; our ability to maintain and grow our retail telecommunications services, particularly our prepaid calling card business; availability of termination capacity; financial stability of our customers; our ability to maintain carrier agreements with foreign carriers; effectiveness of our marketing and distribution efforts; increased competition, particularly from regional bell operating companies; our ability to manage our growth; competitiveness of our Winstar subsidiary; impact of government regulation; our ability to obtain telecommunications products or services required for our products and services; and general economic conditions, particularly in the telecommunications markets. We are under no obligation, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to update the forward-looking statements in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
