Bell Atlantic Mobile to Provide Wireless Phones to Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office

April 26, 1999—BRIDGEPORT, NJ—

Crime victims in Gloucester County will
be one step closer to safety due to a wireless phone donation by Bell
Atlantic Mobile. On April 28 in Bridgeport, during a conference in observance
of Crime Victims' Rights Week, Bell Atlantic Mobile will make a wireless
phone donation to Gloucester County Prosecutor Andrew N. Yurick, for use
of the Office of Victim/Witness Advocacy. The phones, which are programmed
to dial 9-1-1 at the touch of a button, will enable crime victims such
as domestic violence victims, to access immediate assistance should an
emergency arise. "We are committed to helping victims of crime break the
cycle of violence and to lead safe and productive lives," said John Stratton,
regional president of Bell Atlantic Mobile. "With a wireless phone in
hand, people can now have peace-of-mind knowing that help is just a phone
call away." The request for the phone donation came from Prosecutor Yurick
who said that the phones will provide a vital communications link to people
who fear for their lives.

This donation is part of Bell Atlantic Mobile's corporate-wide "Wireless
at Work" community service program. Since 1995, this program has focused
on assisting victims of domestic violence by utilizing the company's resources
and technology in a variety of ways. These include the HopeLine program,
which provides free voice mail boxes to victims residing in shelters,
and donations of pre-programmed wireless 9-1-1 phones to police departments
and district attorneys' offices for women at risk. This past year, Bell
Atlantic Mobile earmarked $100,000 to help victims by providing wireless
technology solutions. On a national level, Bell Atlantic Mobile became
the first wireless carrier to introduce a toll and airtime-free link to
the National Domestic Violence Hotline, allowing users to simply dial
*HOPE from their wireless phones to reach the hotline. This feature ensures
fast and easy access for Bell Atlantic Mobile customers in abusive situations
to obtain advice at anytime when calling from anywhere in the company's
Maine to Georgia footprint.

Bell Atlantic Mobile owns and operates the largest wireless
network in the East, covering 120,000 square miles, and the largest chain
of retail outlets devoted exclusively to wireless voice, data and paging.
Based in Bedminster, NJ, Bell Atlantic Mobile has 6.4 million customers
and 8,000 employees from Maine to Georgia and, through a separate subsidiary,
in the Southwest. Through its "Wireless at Work..." community service program,
the company uses its technology to help individuals and communities improve
security and emergency communications. Bell Atlantic Mobile's parent,
Bell Atlantic Corporation (NYSE:BEL) is one of the world's largest wireless
communications companies, with domestic operations in 25 states and international
investments in Mexico, Europe and the Pacific Rim. For more information
on Bell Atlantic Mobile visit: www.bam.com; on global operations visit:
www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.

Domestic Violence Hotline Numbers: