Bell Atlantic Reminds Callers to Get Ready For 10-Digit Dialing, New Area Codes

Bell Atlantic Reminds Callers to Get Ready
For 10-Digit Dialing, New Area Codes

Remember to Dial 'Ten-number Number'
When Calling Other Numbers in 215, 610 Area Codes

June 2, 1999

PHILADELPHIA -- Bell Atlantic is reminding its southeastern
Pennsylvania customers that they now must dial 10 digits to make calls
within or between the 215 and 610 area codes.

Telephone companies next month also will begin assigning two new area
codes to customers ordering new lines or changing their phone service.

"The rehearsal is over. Southeastern Pennsylvania customers must
dial the area code and seven-digit phone number -- or Ten-number
Number^sm -- when calling people in the 215 and 610 area codes,"
said Sandy Scott, Bell Atlantic - Pennsylvania manager of area code
customer education. "Customers calling between the 215 and 610
area codes no longer will have to dial '1' first. However, their calls will
still go through if they first dial '1.' "

Since December, the company has encouraged people to get used to
dialing Ten-number Numbers. On June 5 and after, callers in these two
area codes who dial a seven-digit number will hear a recorded message
instructing them to dial both the area code and telephone number.

In addition, two new area codes are being introduced in southeastern
Pennsylvania. Starting in July, customers who request new service, an
additional line or, in some cases, who want to move their service to
another location may be assigned numbers in the new 267 and 484 area
codes. The new 267 area code will have the same geographic boundaries
as the current 215 code. The new 484 area code will parallel the
boundaries of the current 610 code.

Customers must dial Ten-number Numbers when making calls within or
between these four area codes.

What's Not Changing

The additional area codes and move to Ten-number Number dialing in
southeastern Pennsylvania will not affect current telephone numbers,
dialing to reach 911 service, the price of telephone service or local calling
areas. A local call today will still be a local call when 10-digit dialing and
the new area codes are in effect. Customers can get more information on
their local calling areas by checking the customer guide section in the front
of their Bell Atlantic White Pages directories.

What Is Changing

Consumers and businesses must reprogram any telephone system or
optional service such as Call Forwarding that dials other phone numbers in
southeastern Pennsylvania by June 5. (NOTE TO EDITORS: A list of
some equipment and services that may require reprogramming follows
this release.)

Growth, Competition Drive Need for New Area Codes

The demand for new telephone numbers is exploding as people are
communicating more than ever using additional phone lines, cellular
phones, pagers, computer modems and fax machines. In addition,
Pennsylvanians increasingly have a choice of which company provides
their local phone service, and these competing companies require phone
numbers for their customers.

This heavy demand for phone numbers is driving the need for new area
codes in Pennsylvania and across the country. In fact, the new 570 area
code has been added to serve northeastern Pennsylvania, and the 724 code
was created in western Pennsylvania.

For More Information...

Bell Atlantic is spreading the word about Ten-number Number dialing and
the new area codes in a number of ways. The company is running
advertising, and information on the dialing change and new area codes has
appeared in Extra, a newsletter included in customers' Bell Atlantic phone
bills. Employees are meeting with civic and senior citizen organizations,
and the company has distributed hundreds of thousands of Ten-number
Number coloring books to make children aware of the dialing change.

"We're reaching out to customers young and old," said Scott.
"We want customers to adapt to these changes as comfortably as
possible, and we appreciate their understanding and patience," said
Scott.

Bell Atlantic implemented Ten-number Number dialing in Maryland two
years ago, and customers there have successfully adapted to the change.

Pennsylvanians can get more information on the area codes and dialing
changes by calling Bell Atlantic's toll-free Area Code Information Line
(800-500-2167) or by visiting the company's special area code pages on
the World Wide Web (http://www.bellatlantic.com/areacode).

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With 43 million telephone access lines and nine
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.

ATTENTION 215 AND 610 AREA CODE CUSTOMERS:

Reprogram Now for New Area Codes, Ten-number Number Dialing

All telephone customers in the 215 and 610 area codes who use telephone
equipment or a Bell Atlantic service that currently dials seven-digit phone
numbers in southeastern Pennsylvania must reprogram that equipment or
service as soon as possible to dial the new codes and the Ten-number
Number^sm for every seven-digit number they dial today. This
reprogramming must be completed by June 5.

Some examples of equipment or Bell Atlantic services that may need to be
reprogrammed include:

• Computers used for Internet acces
• Modems
• Speed dialing lists
• Automatic dialers
• Cellular and mobile phones
• Security systems (ask your security company)
• PBX business phone systems (ask your PBX supplier)
• Pagers
• Fax machines
• Call Block
• Priority Call
• Home Voice Mail or Answer Call with special delivery
• Call Forwarding
• Call Gate^sm Service
• Do Not Disturb Service

In addition, be sure to update phone lists, databases, billing records and
address books to include area codes. Notify business contacts, associates,
friends and relatives of your area code. And be sure to include the area
code when exchanging telephone numbers.

For more information on Pennsylvania area codes or Ten-number Number
dialing, call Bell Atlantic's Area Code Information Line on 800-500-2167
(toll-free) or visit the company's area code pages on the World Wide Web
(http://www.bellatlantic.com/areacode).