Bronx Assemblyman Dinowitz And Bell Atlantic Mobile &Quot;Recycle&Quot; Old Cell Phones To Improve Children's Safety

Bronx Assemblyman Dinowitz And Bell Atlantic
Mobile &Quot;Recycle&Quot; Old Cell Phones To
Improve Children's Safety

Phones Will Benefit Kingsbridge Heights Community Center, Riverdale
Neighborhood House and School Crossing Guards

August 5, 1999

BRONX, NY -- Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz today launched a
program aimed at making the community safer for children and their
families using wireless phones. Through Bell Atlantic Mobile's 'Wireless
at Work Phone Recycling Program,' Dinowitz will collect old and unused
cellular phones to be reprogrammed and returned to the community for
use in summoning police help in emergencies. The program is the first
wireless phone recycling drive in the Bronx and only the second in NYC.
It will run through the end of August.

At the conclusion of the drive, Bell Atlantic Mobile will test and
reprogram the donated phones to dial 9-1-1 at the touch of a button. The
phones will be returned to Assemblyman Dinowitz, who will distribute
them to school crossing guards and other agencies that serve Bronx
families.

"Everyday, our school crossing guards are on the front lines
protecting our children as they navigate busy city streets on their way to
school," said Assemblyman Dinowitz. "These wireless phones
will allow them to call for help without having to leave their posts and the
children who depend on them."

Dinowitz also is working with the Kingsbridge Heights and Riverdale
community centers to identify other individuals, such as victims of
domestic violence or shut-ins, who would benefit from using a wireless
phone to contact police in an emergency.

Residents and businesspeople may donate their older model wireless
phones at three collection centers in the 41st Assembly District:

• Assemblyman Dinowitz's office, 3107 Kingsbridge Avenue
• The Kingsbridge Heights Community Center, 3101
  Kingsbridge Terrace
• The Riverdale Neighborhood House, 5521 Mosholu Avenue

Donated phones must be placed in ziplock bags and include batteries and
chargers.

"The evolution of wireless phones from analog to digital and the
appeal of newer, smaller handsets, have produced a large supply of old,
unused equipment sitting in desks, cabinets and even toy boxes throughout
the area," said Charles Hand, president of the company's New
York/New Jersey metro region. "Our objective is to join forces with
Assemblyman Dinowitz and others who can help us reclaim these phones
and put them into the hands of people who need emergency
communications."

As an added incentive to consumers who are contemplating a wireless
phone upgrade, Hand said Bell Atlantic Mobile is providing collection
centers with coupons good for valuable equipment discounts at Bell
Atlantic Mobile Communications Stores throughout the area. "These
discount coupons are our way of thanking citizens for donating their older
model phones to a worthy cause," he said.

Since January, Bell Atlantic Mobile has helped collect and refurbish more
than 6,000 phones, which represent an $86,000 commitment in time and
materials from the company.

In the NY/NJ Metro Region, Bell Atlantic Mobile was named leader in
overall customer satisfaction among wireless users, according to the
prestigious J.D. Power and Associates 1998 U.S. Wireless Customer
Satisfaction Study.

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.