Bell Atlantic Introduces Infospeed DSL Service To the New York Market

Bell Atlantic Introduces Infospeed DSL
Service
To the New York Market

New Quick Start Installation Enables Customers
To Do It Easily Themselves

July 15, 1999

NEW YORK -- New Yorkers now have a new choice for high-speed
Internet access -- Bell Atlantic's Infospeed^sm DSL service, an
"always-on," direct connection available today in parts of
Manhattan and soon to be introduced in other parts of the New York
metropolitan area.

"Thousands of our New York customers made reservations online
for our Infospeed DSL service long before we started advertising
today," said Amy McIntosh, president -- Consumer Data Services,
Bell Atlantic. "We know they're anxious to enjoy the speed and
convenience that Infospeed DSL gives them with immediate and unlimited
access to the Internet. With our new Quick Start installation, they'll be able
to cruise the Internet in no time at all."

Infospeed DSL is Bell Atlantic's brand name for DSL, or Digital
Subscriber Line technology, which provides Internet access to consumers
at speeds up to 126 times faster than a 56 kilobits per second (Kbps)
modem, depending on the Infospeed package selected. By taking
advantage of unused capacity on existing telephone lines, the technology
allows consumers to use a single phone line to send faxes or make phone
calls while they're surfing the Internet.

And with Infospeed DSL, there's no dialing. No busy signals. You're
there, with one click of the mouse. The digital, high-speed service
provides an always-on link to the Internet.

Infospeed DSL is available starting today in parts of Manhattan and will
be available in areas of Queens, Long Island and Westchester County by
early August. Service will be available in parts of Brooklyn, the Bronx
and Staten Island beginning in September. By the end of the year,
Infospeed DSL service will be available to the majority of Bell Atlantic
customers in the New York metropolitan area.

Introduced by Bell Atlantic last fall, Infospeed DSL also is available in
parts of the Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston and Washington, D.C.
metropolitan areas and New Jersey. This year, the company will expand
availability to additional communities in these markets, as well as enter
new markets.

(See separate Bell Atlantic news release issued today
announcing the introduction of Bell Atlantic Infospeed DSL PLUS service for businesses.)

New Quick Start Installation Speeds Service

In conjunction with the New York launch of Infospeed DSL, Bell Atlantic
is introducing an easy and fast installation that customers can do
themselves. When customers place an order, Bell Atlantic will equip their
line with DSL and ship them a DSL modem and a Quick Start Guide with
instructions on how to complete the installation themselves. There's no
need to stay home for a visit from Bell Atlantic.

New York customers will receive everything they need to connect to the
Internet using Bell Atlantic's Infospeed DSL service. The Quick Start
installation will be introduced in other Bell Atlantic markets later this
year.

Consumer Package Offers Tremendous Value

At $49.95 a month, Bell Atlantic's entry-level Personal Infospeed package
offers tremendous value, said McIntosh. "Our package includes fast,
unlimited access to the Internet, Bell Atlantic's own Internet service, and
the ability to use the same phone line to talk or fax while you're
online," she said. "And Infospeed provides your own
dedicated connection, so you don't have to worry that your access will
slow down as cable modems can when your neighbors go online."

Personal Infospeed features speeds up to 640 kilobits per second (Kbps),
Bell Atlantic.net^sm Internet access and a link to a special version of the
Snap portal service that is designed for Bell Atlantic's high-speed users.

Users who want even faster connections have two more Infospeed options:

• Bell Atlantic Professional Infospeed at $99.95 a month for
  unlimited use features speeds up to 1.6 megabits per second
  (Mbps) and Bell Atlantic.net Internet access.

• Bell Atlantic Power Infospeed at $189.95 a month for unlimited
  use offers speeds up to 7.1 Mbps and Bell Atlantic.net Internet
  access.

The initial cost includes a $99 one-time network connection fee and -- for
BellAtlantic.net subscribers who make a one-year commitment -- a DSL
modem for $99.

After customers complete their installation, technical support will be
available to all Infospeed DSL customers, 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. Finally, the service comes with a customer-care, money-back
guarantee for all charges if a customer decides not to continue service
within 30 days of installation.

ISPs to Offer Infospeed DSL packages

Volume discounts are available to Internet service providers (ISPs) who
want to package Infospeed DSL with their Internet service. To date, Bell
Atlantic has signed agreements with ISPs who've made commitments to
sign up nearly three million DSL customers. And, more than 40 ISPs have
signed agreements to offer DSL access to their customers.

"As Infospeed DSL is rolled out throughout Metro New York, we'll
conduct an aggressive marketing campaign, using newspapers, radio and
television advertising to spread the good news to the online
community," McIntosh said.

"Our region-wide deployment, easy installation, competitive pricing
and innovative marketing programs are making Infospeed DSL a truly
mass market product. Now that we've opened up the New York market,
we expect DSL to become the hottest product in the online market this
year. It will accelerate the development and availability of new services
and content, especially e-commerce," she said.

Customers can make a reservation for Bell Atlantic Infospeed DSL
services today via the Bell Atlantic Web site at
www.bellatlantic.com/infospeed or by calling 1-877-525-2DSL. They also
can preview Bell Atlantic's high-speed portal by visiting
www.bellatlantic.net/infospeed.

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.