Bell Atlnantic Launches Long-Distance Service in North Carolina

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 1996

BELL ATLANTIC LAUNCHES LONG-DISTANCE SERVICE
IN NORTH CAROLINA

First Regional Bell Company To Provide Long-Distance Service
Outside Its Service Area

Raleigh, NC- Consumers in North Carolina now have a new
choice for
their long-distance service - Bell Atlantic. The Philadelphia-based
firm is the first regional Bell company to provide long-distance
service outside of its traditional service area, the mid-Atlantic
region.

Bell Atlantic Communications will begin the launch of its
long-distance service with television, radio, and newspaper
advertising and marketing campaigns in North Carolina. The company
has established sales offices in Charlotte, located at 8 Woodlawn
Green, 704-529-5557, and Raleigh, located at the Business Center
of
West Chase, 4020 West Chase Blvd, Suite #100, 919-833-3305.

"Residents of North Carolina who choose Bell Atlantic as their
long-distance company will receive high-quality, customer oriented
long-distance service at an exceptional value," said Al
Binford,
president and CEO of Bell Atlantic Communications, Inc. "They'll no
longer be limited to the three long-distance companies that have
dominated the market."

"Customers want long-distance service that's simple, with
easy-to-understand pricing plans that won't disappear in a few
weeks,"
said Binford. "With Bell Atlantic, there'll be value and quality
service from a company that focuses on the customer."

While the company is concentrating its long-distance efforts in North
Carolina, Michigan, and Texas starting today, Bell Atlantic plans to
introduce long-distance service within its mid-Atlantic region as soon
as the company meets the conditions of the new Telecommunications Act
of 1996, signed into law last February by President Clinton. "We
plan
to enter the in-region market next year," Binford said.

The new telecommunications act allows the regional Bell telephone
companies to enter the long-distance business for the first time.
Within days of the bill's enactment, Bell Atlantic filed applications
with state regulators to get into the long-distance market outside of
its region.

Bell Atlantic Communications' television, radio, and print advertising
promoting the company's long-distance service begins within the next
few weeks.

"We're very excited re-entering the long-distance business, and we
plan to provide excellent service at an outstanding value to customers
in North Carolina," Binford said. "Bell Atlantic brings over
100
years of telephone experience to our long-distance business.
Consumers won't find a better company to be their long-distance
provider."

Bell Atlantic Communications, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Bell Atlantic Corporation. Bell Atlantic Communications operates Bell
Atlantic's new nationwide long-distance business.

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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Media contacts:

Shirley Risoldi, 412-633-5574
shirley.a.risoldi@bell-atl.com

Alan Hill, 703-974-2134