NYNEX Ends 1996 With Dramatically Improved Service Quality in New York

February 11, 1997

CONTACT: Mark Marchand,

518-396-1080 or Bob Varettoni, 212-395-0500

NYNEX Ends 1996 With Dramatically Improved Service Quality in New York

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 11, 1997--NYNEX

completed 1996 with a dramatic increase in the quality of

service in New York State, resulting from the company's

aggressive improvement programs begun early in the year.

State regulators are expected to review tomorrow

results showing that in the fourth quarter of 1996 NYNEX

showed year-over-year improvement in every one of the 16 New

York State Public Service Commission standards that measure

overall service quality and the company's ability to keep

appointments and repair out-of-service phone lines within a

day.

And as part of a seven-year regulatory plan that went

into effect in September 1995, NYNEX also guarantees that it

will meet increasingly tougher service quality targets or

pay rebates to customers.

"We're moving the needle in the right direction,"

said NYNEX Chairman Ivan Seidenberg. "In 1996 the entire

telecom industry experienced unexpected growth in demand.

Because of that, we hit some bumps in the road in serving

our customers in the first half of 1996. Now, we're meeting

increased demand and, at the same time, improving service

quality.

"I am proud of our results today. In fact, our

improvement trend continued with even better results this

January. We can still do better, and our customers have our

pledge that we will continue our investments to meet their

expectations of the highest-quality service."

Seidenberg cited several factors - including new

jobs, increased investments and new initiatives - that have

contributed to service improvement in New York.

The company added more than 2,000 new service-related

jobs in the state in 1996 to handle growth resulting in more

than 600,000 new customer lines throughout the Northeast.

During 1996, NYNEX shifted additional funds to its

telephone network construction program in New York. The

company invested last year some $1.3 billion on its central

office and network capital investment program in New York.

NYNEX-wide service initiatives begun in 1996

include:

• Customer Care Centers, offering one number, one

  contact, for trouble-shooting orders of new or additional

  services;

• Customer care programs for service technicians

  designed to increase accountability;

• Expansion of air pressurization systems designed

  to prevent moisture-related problems in underground

  cables;

• Updated technical training for field service

  personnel;

• New customer contact methods for NYNEX service

  representatives and new order-handling methods for

  speedier ISDN installations; and

• Expansion of redundant fiber systems, allowing

  instant rerouting of traffic.

NYNEX is a global communications and media

corporation that provides a full range of services in the

northeastern United States and high-growth markets around

the world, including the United Kingdom, Thailand,

Gibraltar, Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland,

Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The corporation is a leader

in telecommunications, wireless communications, directory

publishing and video entertainment and information services.

NYNEX is also managing sponsor of FLAG -- Fiberoptic Link

Around the Globe -- the world's longest undersea fiber optic

communications cable.

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