BELL ATLANTIC INTRODUCES AUTOMATIC SAVINGS OF UP TO 20 PERCENT FOR WEST VIRGINIA RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 1996

BELL ATLANTIC INTRODUCES AUTOMATIC SAVINGS OF UP TO 20
PERCENT
FOR WEST VIRGINIA RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS

Consumers to save $3.3 million in plan's first year

CHARLESTON, W.VA. -- What can Bell Atlantic's West
Virginia
residential customers do to begin saving up to 20 percent on their
Bell Atlantic-carried regional toll calls?

Nothing. Bell Atlantic is doing it for them.

Effective Aug. 23, Bell Atlantic will begin giving its West Virginia
residential customers automatic discounts on their phone bills. The
company estimates that the automatic discounts will save consumers
$3.3M in the first year.

Bell Atlantic's Automatic Savings Plan will automatically discount
direct-dialed, in-state, Bell Atlantic-carried regional toll charges
totaling $5 or more a month. Unlike many other toll service
providers' savings plans, however, customers do not have to enroll in
Automatic Savings or pay a monthly fee to receive the discount.

"Automatic Savings cuts through the clutter and nonsense of
complicated long distance discount plans and provides better
discounts," said Dennis Bone, president and
CEO of Bell Atlantic-West
Virginia. "It's simple, hassle-free and -- best of all -- it's
automatic."

Customers with direct-dialed, station-to-station regional toll charges
of $20 or more monthly will receive an automatic discount of 20
percent. When these monthly charges total $5 to $19.99, customers
will receive an automatic discount of 10 percent.

Customers who already receive discounts because they have speech or
hearing disabilities are also eligible for Automatic Savings
discounts. Residential customers who are enrolled in Bell Atlantic's
Maximum Value Plans^(sm) or the Consumer
Opportunity Savings Plan aren't
automatically eligible for Automatic Savings, but they may find the
new plan attractive depending on their individual calling habits.
These customers should call the Bell Atlantic Residence Service Center
on 954-6200 [no charge for the call] with questions about how
Automatic Savings may benefit them.

"We designed Automatic Savings to provide consumers with what they
have said they wanted -- a simple savings plan they could
understand,"
said Bone. "Customers don't need to do a thing but make their calls
-- and save."

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.

####

Media contact:

Harry Mitchell (304) 344-7562
harry.j.mitchell@bell-atl.com