Record at T-Mobile: over 50,000 discarded handsets collected

• Customers used recycling vouchers worth CZK 10 million
• Most phones handed in at Galerie Vaňkovka and Centrum Chodov shopping centers

Prague, 6 February 2008 - The Recyklístek (Recycling Voucher) event which took place at T­Mobile shops between 7 November 2007 and 31 January 2008 was a huge success. In less than three months, customers returned 50,554 unused handsets and redeemed recycling vouchers worth CZK 10,110,800 when purchasing new devices and accessories. The largest number of discarded handsets were returned at the Centrum Chodov shopping center in Prague and the Galerie Vaňkovka shopping mall in Brno. The most often returned brand was Nokia, followed by Siemens, Alcatel, Sony Ericsson and Motorola.

"During the first weeks after the event started, our skepticism regarding Czech people's lack of enthusiasm about environmental matters disappeared completely," says Martina Kemrová, spokesperson for T­Mobile, adding: "We needed to print additional recycling vouchers twice in order to satisfy everyone returning their obsolete handsets."

Czechs can be proud of themselves: they bid farewell to 50,554 unused mobile phones, which is 70 times more handsets than were collected in the whole of 2006. In total, recycling vouchers worth CZK 10,110,800 were distributed. More than half of the handsets were handed in at T-Mobile shops and put in recycling bins after New Year's Day. The T­Mobile shops that received the most handsets for recycling were those at the Centrum Chodov shopping center (632 handsets, 641 batteries), the Galerie Vaňkovka shopping mall (631 handsets, 640 batteries) and the Letňany shopping center (548 handsets, 621 batteries).

The breakdown of brands of the returned handsets corresponds to the amounts supplied by the individual manufacturers to the Czech market: Nokia comprised 44% of the total amount, Siemens had a 24% share, Alcatel 11%, Sony Ericsson 8% and Motorola 6%, while the remaining 7% of the phones were of other brands.

The campaign supporting the recycling of obsolete handsets, which ran from 7 November 2007 to 31 January 2008, was a part of T-Mobile's corporate social responsibility program. The campaign was based on offering customers a voucher for each obsolete mobile phone that was returned to T­Mobile shops. The value of each recycling voucher (Recyklístek in Czech) was CZK 200 incl. VAT and could be used when purchasing a new handset, Twist set or accessories at T-Mobile shops. Within a month following the start of the campaign, 22,000 recycling vouchers were exchanged for old telephones. T­Mobile had to print additional vouchers twice so that there would be enough available in January for those who received new handsets as a Christmas gift and wanted to dispose of their old ones.

"We would like to thank all customers who managed to part with their old handsets. And we want to assure everyone that we will continue to support recycling and environmentally conscious behavior in future," says Martina Kemrová, adding: "According to psychologists, cleaning out our closets is good for our mental health. It makes no sense to keep, let's say, that old polyester leisure suit your dad wore in the seventies but you would not be caught dead in today. So why not get rid of an unused old phone in an environmentally friendly way?"

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.