Bell Atlantic Deploys Fiber Optics, Electronics, Bringing Additional Technology, Services to Sunbury Area

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Bell Atlantic Deploys Fiber Optics,
Electronics,
Bringing Additional Technology, Services
to Sunbury Area

Company Invests $650,000 to Expand, Upgrade
Local Telephone Network

August 17, 1999

Media
contact:

Ells Edwards,
302-576-5340
Sharon Shaffer,
215-963-6200

SUNBURY, Pa. -- Bell Atlantic is installing new fiber-optic
cable and associated electronic equipment in the Northumberland County
town of Sunbury and its suburbs as part of a $650,000 project to upgrade
the local telephone network and provide increased bandwidth to its
customers.

Bell Atlantic is placing about 10 miles of fiber-optic cable along State
Route 890 to replace copper cable currently serving the communities of
Mile Run, Augustaville and Seven Points. Construction is expected to be
completed by December, 1999.

This new technology will allow Bell Atlantic to expand its ability to offer
advanced high-speed and high bandwidth services in the Sunbury area and
provides additional reliability and survivability in the Bell Atlantic
network. Fiber-optic systems use hair-thin glass fibers and digital
technology to deliver high quality telephone service along with high-
capacity/high-speed voice and data transmission services.

"This project is the latest evidence that Bell Atlantic is meeting our
commitment to deliver a state-of-the-art telecommunications network
throughout Pennsylvania," said Daniel J. Whelan, president of Bell
Atlantic - Pennsylvania. "We are accelerating our construction
schedules to provide rural and urban customers with high-speed access to
the Internet, work-at-home capabilities, as well as a host of other
innovative advanced services."

Whelan said Bell Atlantic has made major strides in deploying advanced
technology in its network:

  • Annual spending on the Pennsylvania network nearly doubled
    from $539 million in 1995 to more than $961 million in 1998.

  • Miles of fiber-optic cable in the commonwealth increased by 66
    percent from 474,450 in 1995 to 786,106 at the end of 1998.

  • Percentage of digital call-routing switches has grown from 90.3
    percent in 1995 to 96 percent at the end of 1998.

  • Bell Atlantic Infospeedsm DSL was launched in Pennsylvania
    last fall. Infospeed DSL is a secure, high-speed, always-on
    Internet access services that enables consumers to connect to
    cyberspace at speeds up to 100 times faster than today's fastest
    analog modems.

"Bell Atlantic is keeping its promises to Pennsylvania,"
Whelan said. "We are building and enhancing a public
telecommunications network in Pennsylvania that is the finest in the world
and is a vital part of the commonwealth's economic infrastructure."

In addition to deploying the latest technology, Bell Atlantic has spent tens
of millions of dollars to open Pennsylvania's local telephone market to
competition.

"We have irreversibly opened our markets to competition,"
Whelan said. "We can't force the long distance giants or anyone else
to compete here, but anyone who genuinely wants to enter our markets can
do so."

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With more than 43 million telephone access lines
and nearly 10 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.

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