Bell Atlantic Links Links At U.S. Open

Bell Atlantic Links Links At U.S. Open

Miles of Fiber and Copper Bring Tournament to World

June 10, 1997

BETHESDA, Md. - The next time Tiger Woods lofts a 140-yard wedge to
within 10 feet of the cup, he can thank Bell Atlantic for helping to
bring that special moment to his millions of fans.

The revered U.S. Golf Association (USGA) selected Bell Atlantic to
provide telecommunications for the tournament staff and hundreds of
news media at the 1997 U.S. Open. The four-day tournament, the
premier event of the USGA, begins here Thursday at Congressional
Country Club.

"There were several telecommunications companies vying for this bid.
With such an important, high-visibility event, the deciding factor is
service. The USGA knew Bell Atlantic could deliver, and we've done
just that," said Bell Atlantic Vice Chairman James G. Cullen.

In preparation for one of the top three golf tournaments in the U.S.,
Bell Atlantic has installed over 4,000 feet of fiber-optic cable for
ESPN, the network which will provide coverage of the early rounds of
the tournament. The cable, the diameter of a pencil, contains 24
hair-thin glass fibers, each capable of carrying potentially tens of
thousands of phone calls at once.

In addition, Bell Atlantic has installed over 30,000 feet of copper
cable to bring the latest telecommunications technology to news media
and tournament staff on the course.

"Besides land-based communications, there will a lot of cellular phone
use in and around the country club. We intend to make sure each and
every call gets through," Cullen said. To meet the expected surge
in cellular demand, he said the company is installing 10 high-capacity
(DS1) circuits for use by various cellular providers.

The company will also install about 1,000 Centrex lines, far more than
the number of lines used by most businesses. There are also plans to
install over 20 ISDN (integrated services digital network) lines,
which gives customers the ability to surf the Internet at high speeds
and allows them to use their line for multiple functions at the same
time. The ISDN lines are also in great demand by radio broadcasters
for the clarity of transmission.

And for those without a phone of their own, Bell Atlantic will install
45 public telephones.

The U.S. Open marks the second professional golf tournament in less
than a week in which Bell Atlantic served as the primary
telecommunications provider. Last weekend the company brought its
technology know-how to the rolling hills of the TPC at Avenel, in
nearby Potomac, Md., for the Kemper Open.

Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE: BEL) is at the forefront of the new
communications, entertainment and information industry. In the
mid-Atlantic region, the company's telephone company subsidiaries are
the premier providers 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.