Bell Atlantic Joins Coalition of Internet Industry Leaders to Launch New Service to Guide Kids Online

Bell Atlantic Joins Coalition of Internet
Industry Leaders to Launch New Service to
Guide Kids Online

GetNetWise Provides Valuable Resource for Kids, Parents
and Others
At the Click of a Mouse

July 29, 1999

WASHINGTON -- Bell Atlantic and other leading high-tech
companies today unveiled GetNetWise, a one-stop, online resource
dedicated to helping families and others guide children to safe and
responsible Internet surfing.

"As a parent, I'm proud that Bell Atlantic is part of this ground-
breaking effort to protect kids online," said Amy McIntosh,
president of Bell Atlantic Consumer Data Services. "The Digital
Age brings with it new challenges and broadened responsibility for raising
and educating children.

"We're committed to ensuring safe, enjoyable and educational
Internet navigation for kids, as well as providing families and others with
the resources they need to do just that -- with one click of the
mouse," she said.

GetNetWise is an unprecedented initiative to provide parents, caregivers,
educators and others with easy-to-find Internet resources that protect kids.

Bell Atlantic, Disney, America Online and Yahoo! Inc.were among the
organizing partners of the coalition. GetNetWise was developed by the
coalition and the Internet Education Foundation. Together, they are
working to ensure GetNetWise will have broad distribution on Web sites
of as many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as possible.

The GetNetWise resource page
(www.GetNetWise.org) is available on the Bell Atlantic Internet
Solutions welcome page at home.bellatlantic.net and the Web
sites of other participating companies.

Bell Atlantic, a member of the Host Committee for GetNetWise, joined
leading Internet companies, Vice President Gore and Congressional
leaders in announcing the initiative at a press conference, led by Rick
White -- former Congressman from Washington State and co-founder of
the Congressional Internet Caucus. The idea stems from briefings with
leaders in the industry and members of Congress and the Administration.

The blue and white GetNetWise logo, which was unveiled at the news
conference, will appear on ISP sites, search engines and other Web sites.
It will link parents to a continuously updated directory of information to
protect children's safety on the Internet.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new
communications and information industry. With more than 43 million telephone
access lines and nearly 10 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic
companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services,
market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory
information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors
in high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments
in 23 countries.