Re Agreement

British Telecommunications PLC 16 November 2000 November 16, 2000 BT AND CROWN CASTLE MOVE FAST TO MOBILISE 3G MARKET BT and Crown Castle UK Ltd. today unveiled a commercial agreement designed to fast-track provision of sites and infrastructure for the nation's 3G mobile and wireless operators. Under the terms of the deal, BT and Crown Castle plan to develop roof-space and grounds at an initial 4,000 BT exchange sites around the UK. BT and Crown Castle will select the best physical locations, build the necessary infrastructure and enable operators to connect to the BT core network. Demand for such services is expected to rise dramatically following the completion of the third generation mobile licences' auction earlier this year. The agreement brings together BT's network expertise and extensive exchange property assets and Crown Castle's site portfolio, tower development and experience in infrastructure roll-out. The agreement will enable BT to unlock significant hidden value from its exchange portfolio and is expected to enhance BT's pre-tax profits by more than £50m p.a. The arrangement is for an initial 10-year period. Paul Reynolds, chief executive officer of BT Wholesale, said: 'This is truly exciting for BT Wholesale. The deal with Crown Castle will harness the unique strengths of both organisations and result in a service from which everyone will benefit. 'Speed to market will be essential for all of the 3G operators and we will now be ideally placed to offer our wholesale customers a fully integrated, cost effective solution including the very best in network connectivity. We are delighted to be taking a lead in this profitable high growth area which will help us deliver a world class service and continue to build on our strong customer focus.' Bob Giles, president and chief operating officer of Crown Castle UK said: 'We are delighted to be working with BT Wholesale: Crown Castle currently has the UK's premier portfolio of independent radio sites, and BT has the best fibre network in the UK. The addition of the BT exchange locations means that together, we are creating an unmatched facility for operators that should satisfy their demand for sites and speed of rollout for new wireless services.' Preparatory work on the new delivery has already begun, and BT and Crown Castle are now in contract discussions with a number of potential operators. It is expected that the proposal, using shared infrastructure, will deliver substantial cost savings for all the mobile and wireless operators, including BT Wireless, in the roll-out of their 3G networks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inquiries about this news release should be made to the BT Group Newsroom on its 24-hour number: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK, dial +44 20 7356 5369. All news releases can be accessed from our web site: http://www.bt.com/ mediacentre Notes to editors: * The commercial arrangement remains subject to the execution of definitive agreements. * Inquiries to Bob Giles, President and COO of Crown Castle UK may be made on 01926 416190 Forward-looking statements - caution advised Certain statements in this release are forward-looking and are made in reliance on the safe harbour provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, without limitation, those concerning earnings. Although BT believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct. Because these statements involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause differences between actual results and those implied by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: material adverse changes in economic conditions in the markets served by BT and its new businesses; future regulatory actions and conditions in BT's operating areas, including competition from others in the UK and other international communications markets; technological innovations, including the cost of developing new products and the need to increase expenditure improving the quality of service; prolonged adverse weather conditions resulting in a material increase in overtime, staff or other costs; developments in the convergence of technologies; the timing of entry and profitability of BT and its new businesses in certain national and international markets and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. About Crown Castle: Crown Castle International Corp. engineers, deploys, owns and operates technologically advanced shared wireless infrastructure, including extensive networks of towers and rooftops as well as analogue and digital audio and television broadcast transmission systems. The company offers near-universal broadcast coverage in the United Kingdom and significant wireless communications coverage to 68 of the top 100 United States markets, more than 95 percent of the UK population and more than 92 percent of the Australian population. Pro forma for all closed and previously announced transactions, Crown Castle International owns, operates and manages over 11,000 wireless communication towers internationally. For more information on Crown Castle International, visit: www.crowncastle.com In the UK Crown Castle currently owns more than 2,300 sites and works with all the major mobile operators, including BT Cellnet, One 2 One, Vodafone and Orange, amongst others. Broadcast customers include the BBC and ONdigital.

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