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Hutchison Whampoa Limited

Partner Communications and star*home announce new trial
services for GSM roamers

Israel, June 11, 2000 - Partner Communications Company Ltd. (NASDAQ: PTNR) and star*home, an affiliate of Comverse Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ: CMVT), announced today the launch of a range of new trial services, offering new capabilities for mobile GSM roaming subscribers.

The new trial services offer visitors roaming on the orangeTM network in Israel quick and easy access to companies that provide services targeted at travelers. The visitor needs only to insert the company name on the cell-phone keypad, eliminating the need to remember phone numbers and access numbers of service providers.

The World Wide Number (WWN) service, the trial of which is launched for the first time in the world on the orangeTM network in Israel, enables GSM roamers in Israel, using the orangeTM network, to call various service providers such as airlines, hotels, car rental companies, restaurant chains and others, without having to memorize a single telephone number. Subscribers roaming abroad can use the letters on the handset to enter the name or abbreviation of the desired company, and the star*home network will route the call to the requested destination.

In some cases, the service will offer a choice of automatic routing of the call to the company's branch in the visitor's home country. For example, a tourist arriving to Israel from a foreign country, finds out that he or she have lost a credit card, only needs to type for example "VISA" and star*home's system will identify the tourist's home country and will route the call to the Visa customer service center in that country. This service will also be beneficial in the process of confirming airline flights, hotel room reservations, etc.

The trial of this service on the orangeTM network is another step in forging the cooperation between star*home and Partner Communications, following the development of Home Short Code service, which allows subscribers to use their familiar home network short-codes even while roaming abroad on another GSM network (for example, access to voice mail using the orangeTM network *151 service, access to customer service, information services, etc.). This service is also featured on the orangeTM network on a trial basis.

Amikam Cohen, CEO of Partner Communications, stated today, "the launch of the new trial services is another step in providing a range of unique services to our subscribers in Israel, allowing orangeTM subscribers as well as visitors on our network, to keep in touch easily and conveniently even when travelling."

According to Carmel Sofer, CEO of star*home, the Company is in the process of establishing a world wide IP (Internet Protocol) based network of networks. This network will allow cellular operators worldwide to offer a wide range of value-added services to their subscribers who roam internationally and to in-bound roamers that use the local network. These value-added services include information, data and communications provided in the subscriber's own language."

About star*home

star*home enables mobile operators to deliver enhanced services to roaming subscribers worldwide. star*home provides its innovative services via its private global IP network of networks and IntelliGateTM platforms. Connecting both GSM and non-GSM networks, star*home allows mobile operators to globalize their "home" value-added services for their roamers. Conveniently billed to subscribers' mobile accounts, star*home's enhanced services enable mobile operators to increase airtime, build market share and reduce customer churn.

Founded in 1998, star*home is an affiliate of Comverse Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CMVT). Comverse Technology, headquartered in Woodbury, New York, designs, develops, manufactures and markets computer and telecommunications systems and software for communications and information processing applications. Comverse is an S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 index company.

For additional information, visit star*home's web site at: http://www.starhome.com

star*home and IntelliGate are trademarks of Comverse Technology Inc.

About Partner Communications Company Ltd.

Partner Communications Company Ltd. is the only Global System for Mobile Communications, or GSM, mobile telephone network operator in Israel. The Company commenced full commercial operations in January 1999 under the international Orange Brand name and, through its network, provides quality of service and a range of features to over 420,000 subscribers in Israel. Partner subscribers can use roaming services in 70 countries using 168 GSM networks. The Company shares are quoted on NASDAQ under the symbol PTNR and on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol PCCD. (For further information: http://investors.partner.co.il)

Contact:

Dr. Dan Eldar
Partner Communications Company Ltd.

VP Carrier, Investor and International Relations
Tel: +972-3-9054151
Fax +972-3-9054161
E-mail: dan.eldar@orange.co.il

Erez Manhaimer/Carmel Sofer
star*home

Tel: +972-3-6454897


Source: Hutchison Whampoa Limited
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