BELL ATLANTIC BURNS RUBBER BUILDING DELAWARE'S INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 1996

BELL ATLANTIC BURNS RUBBER BUILDING DELAWARE'S
INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY

Regulatory Reform Fuels Fiber-Optic
Investment

Wilmington, DE -- Bell Atlantic-Delaware continues to
aggressively
invest in Delaware's telecommunications network and has exceeded its
commitments under the Telecommunications Technology Investment Act
(TTIA) for the second straight year, according to a report presented
today to Governor Thomas R. Carper by Carolyn S. Burger, president and
CEO of Bell Atlantic-Delaware. The report was filed today with the
Delaware Public Service Commission.

Under the act, Bell Atlantic committed to spend a minimum of $250
million over five years to build a digital, fiber optic
telecommunications network in the First State. Burger said Bell
Atlantic-Delaware is running well ahead of projections in deploying
advanced technology to improve the state's economy and educational
opportunities for all Delawareans.

Burger also announced a new Bell Atlantic
commitment to provide
training for at least 20 public school teachers in distance learning
technology, one of the benefits of the Information Age now available
in Delaware because of Bell Atlantic's accelerated modernization of
the public telecommunications network.

"In our first two years under TTIA, Bell Atlantic has invested $128
million in the public network.. That's 28 percent more than we
anticipated at this stage," Burger said. "Because of this
substantial investment, Delaware is a leader in telecommunications
technology. Our citizens benefit by having access to quality of life
enhancements such as distance learning and ISDN, (Integrated Services
Digital Network), which provides high-speed access to the Internet and
on-line services and allows customers who work at home with personal
computers to quickly and easily access their files at the office."

At a ceremony in the company's Wilmington headquarters, Burger
presented a copy of Bell Atlantic's second year report under TTIA to
Governor Carper, who signed the 1993 bill into law. Dr. Dennis L.
Loftus, chair of the Delaware Center for Educational Technology (DCET)
participated in the event.

Joshua M. Twilley, vice chair of the Delaware Public Service
Commission, and Paul Harjung, executive director of DCET,
"attended"
the ceremony electronically at Caesar Rodney High School on Bell
Atlantic's distance learning network.

Judy Mims, Caesar Rodney library specialist and DCET board member, Vic
Valeski, Caesar Rodney business manager, and Robin Taylor, director of
curriculum for the Woodbridge School District, participated via the
Bell Atlantic corporate network from the International Distance
Learning Conference in Arlington, Virginia. Governor Carper also
participated in a nationwide electronic governors' conference over an
ISDN link from Bell Atlantic's Delaware headquarters before the TTIA
ceremony.

Other highlights of Bell Atlantic's second year of operation under
TTIA include:

• Making fiber available to 36 of 40 Delaware secondary public
  schools and 100 of 110 educational, medical and state office
  locations - 91 percent of Bell Atlantic's five year commitment
  under TTIA.

• Reductions in basic telephone rates in 1995 and the likelihood of
  larger reductions in 1996.

• Estimates by the WEFA Group, a highly respected economic
  forecasting firm, that as many as 11,500 new jobs could be created
  in Delaware over the next ten years as a direct result of TTIA.

• Installation of 15,870 miles of fiber optic cable in Delaware in
  the last two years - an increase of 75 percent under TTIA.

• Nearly doubling the number of SONET (Synchronous Optical Network)
  rings installed in Delaware in 1995. SONET technology ensures the
  survivability of telecommunications in each of Delaware's three
  counties.

Burger said that a recent Delaware State Chamber of Commerce survey
demonstrates public awareness that Bell Atlantic has exceeded its
commitment to the state and its customers.

"The survey found that 93 percent of Bell Atlantic customers have a
favorable impression of our company," Burger said. "We're
gratified
by these results. But Bell Atlantic is committed to do even more to
meet the needs of our customers into the 21st century."

"We are truly fortunate in Delaware to have a public policy
environment that fosters economic development and stable rates for
telecommunications services. It encourages cooperation among the
public and private sectors to achieve shared goals, and this
incentive to work together is critical to Delaware's future," Burger
said. "With the enactment of landmark federal telecommunications
legislation, it's particularly important to strengthen this
cooperation so that all consumers benefit from more choices and full
and fair competition."

Bell Atlantic Corporation (NYSE: BEL) is at the forefront of the new
communications, entertainment and information industry. In the
mid-Atlantic region, the company is the premier provider of local
telecommunications and advanced services. Globally, it is one of the
largest investors in the high-growth wireless communication
marketplace. Bell Atlantic also owns a substantial interest in
Telecom Corporation of New Zealand and is actively developing
high-growth national and international business opportunities in all
phases of the industry.

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for more information, contact:

Ells Edwards, 302-576-5340
ellsworth.edwards@bell-atl.com