Phonecards:

Mintage 140.000

Issued: 06-05-1999

Expires: 31-12-2000

-Congratulations to The Greater Torontoe Phonecard Club for a new club phonecard issued by Bell Canada. The Greater Toronto Phonecard Club card (Bell QuickChange B30270 - qty: 900) depicts images from Canada Post Bird Series stamps.

 /Contributed by CHE-KEUNG NG, collector /

These cards are zero balance cards, meaning they have no initial time on them. A wonderful Yogi bear phonecard set. The set sells for $5+pp.

/PPSLTD /

PLDT follows up its first Limited Edition Fonkard Collection for the younger market with the All New PLDT Fonkard Voltes V Collection. Designed exclusively for PLDT, the Collection features the Voltes team, Prince Zardoz, and a full pose of the Voltes V robot.

A purchase of all three cards comes with a free, Limited Edition PLDT Fonkard pop-up folder designed for keeping and displaying the Collection. The Fonkard pop-up folder features a pop-up, die cut Voltes V robot attacking with his Laser Sword, as well as Voltes' technical specifications and background information on each of the team members - a definite must for any hardcore Voltes V fan.

Promo period from May 28 to August 28, 1999 Per DTI Permit # 0497 Series of 1999

The new PLDT Fonkards Voltes V Collection is very limited, available in denominations of 200 pesos each.

The market for chips for contactless smart cards is expected to grow at an average 80% per year, leading to a 15% share of the total smart card chip market after 2000, according to a survey of the smart card chip market published today by SJB Research.

And, after last year's growth slowdown and overcapacity problems in the smart card chip market, manufacturers are looking forward to an upturn that will see chip prices stabilising and even increasing.

The survey, in the June edition of SJB's card industry newsletter, Card Technology Today, includes leading smart card chip manufacturers' views on emerging trends in the industry, aswell as providing detailed tabulated information on the product offerings and status of 15 major smart card chip manufacturers around the world.A demand for phone cards will spur the market for security memories (both contact and contactless), resulting in an average annual growth rate of 10% through to 2003 reports the Ctt survey.

Montréal, Québec (June 1, 1999) - BCE Inc. and Ameritech Corporation today announced they have finalized their strategic partnership announced in late March. As part of the partnership, Ameritech has invested CDN $5.1 billion for a 20 per cent minority interest in Bell Canada, previously 100 per cent owned by BCE Inc.

The primary focus of the partnership will be on developing growth opportunities and introducing new services for customers. Bell Canada provides a full range of communications services to customers, including wired and wireless local and long distance telephone services, Internet access, high-speed data services and directories. Bell Canada, its telecom partners and subsidiaries provide services through 13.6 million access lines, including 11 million in Ontario and Québec. Bell Canada also serves more than 2.1 million wireless customers, in markets covering almost 20 million people.

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The "WPD news" is the free weekly news service of the Worldwide Phonecard Database (WPD). Copyright WPD 1999 PR is from Reuters