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Ericsson to integrate, host and manage ringback tone service for Cincinnati Bell


WEBWIRE

Thursday, April 6 2006, Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERICY) has reached an agreement to host, manage and provide content for Cincinnati Bell Inc.’s (NYSE: CBB) ringback tone service. The agreement makes Ericsson responsible for the end-to-end systems integration, as well as hosting and day-to-day management of the service from Ericsson’s operations center in Plano, Texas. The service will feature content from Ericsson’s leading music and entertainment partners.

Based on Ericsson’s Personalized Greeting Service platform, Cincinnati Bell Wireless customers will be able to use songs or other sounds to replace the standard tone callers hear as they wait for their call to be answered. Since the service is integrated into the network, Cincinnati Bell will have complete control of the revenue stream while protecting content providers, which receive royalties through licensing agreements. Cincinnati Bell plans to launch its ringback tone service in October 2006.

“Ericsson’s relationships with leading mobile content providers, and the assured high quality of our hosted offering, make our Personalized Greeting Service an attractive option for operators,”
said Angel Ruiz, President of Ericsson’s North American operations. “By delivering a complete service - from integrating and managing the service to providing the actual content - Ericsson gives operators a means to quickly, simply and cost-efficiently generate new revenues.”

“People today are ever more reliant on their wireless phones to keep them in touch with family, friends and co-workers, and personalizing their phones through music is a growing trend,” said Mike Vanderwoude, vice president and general manager of Cincinnati Bell Wireless. “Ericsson’s ringback service enables our wireless customers to share a bit of their personality with the person that is calling them, even before the conversation begins.”

Ericsson’s Personalized Greeting Service is part of its industry-leading managed services offering. Operators are offered content packages for mobile portals within five different categories: Music, Multiplayer Gaming, TV & video and Multimedia Subscriptions and Downloads. The service is based on SDP Media, Ericsson’s ServiceDelivery Platform tailored for media delivery.

Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.

About Ericsson Managed Services
Ericsson has the telecom industry’s most comprehensive managed services offerings, covering management of day-to-day operations of a customer’s network and can also include managed capacity for efficient network build out wherever and whenever needed, as well as hosting of applications and content management. As the undisputed industry leader in managed services, Ericsson has officially announced well over 70 managed services contracts with operators worldwide since 2002. Excluding hosting, Ericsson is managing networks that, together, serve 53 million subscribers worldwide.

About Cincinnati Bell Inc.
Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE: CBB) is parent to one of the nation’s most respected and best performing local exchange and wireless providers with a legacy of unparalleled customer service excellence. With headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Bell provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services to residential and business customers in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. For more information, visit www.cincinnatibell.com



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