Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel - July 12, 2000 - Partner Communications Company Ltd. (NASDAQ: PTNR) today announced the installation of Ericsson's GPRS high speed packet switching testing platform at its headquarters near Tel Aviv. Partner is one of the few operators chosen from among Ericsson's GSM customers to be allocated a GPRS trial system in a unique container specifically adapted to Partner's needs.

GPRS technology increases the speed of data transfer on mobile networks, and constitutes a major step towards third generation mobile systems and mobile Internet. GPRS enables data relay at speeds of up to 115 kbps over cellular networks, using packet switching rather than circuit switching. It also allows customers to remain permanently connected to the network. The ordinary current speed of data transfer in the cellular industry is 9.6 kbps.

The container comprises of a complete GPRS test-bed including required GSM network nodes and end-user applications such as Web-browsing, E-mail, File Transfer, Chat applications and Lottery. Ericsson also will provide trial handsets. A host of other applications, presently developed by Partner, shall also be applied through the GPRS platform.

"Ericsson's GPRS test system is the first step to ensure that Partner's customers are among the first to use and benefit from higher data speed and from the new advanced mobile Internet applications enabled by the GPRS technology", said Edvard Gavefalk, Vice President of LM Ericsson Israel.

Partner's CEO Amikam Cohen said today, "For Partner to launch advanced packet switched applications on our existing GSM network, enhances the capex efficiency of the system, enabling us to offer orange(tm) customers unique services and applications, and to prepare the network for the provisioning of 3G services and products, while maintaining our cutting edge technology advantage."

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 half a million subscribers in Israel. Partner subscribers can use roaming services in 72 countries using 170 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)

For further information please contact:

Dr. Dan Eldar
Partner Communications Company Ltd.
V.P. Carrier, International and Investor Relations
Tel: +972-3-9054151
Fax: +972-3-9054161
E-mail: dan.eldar@orange.co.il

For further information about Ericsson: http://www.ericsson.se

The latest Ericsson reference list on GPRS:
http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom/referencematerial/gprs_referencelist.shtml