Bell Atlantic to Merge Two Wholesale Organizations

Bell Atlantic to Merge Two Wholesale Organizations

Reorganization to Provide Single Point of Contact to Other Carriers

August 25, 1999

NEW YORK -- Bell Atlantic will merge its Carrier Services and Telecom
Industry Services (TIS) groups on September 1. The move is expected to
enhance the level of service to Bell Atlantic's wholesale customers who
are also telecommunications carriers, while also improving efficiencies.

The two units are part of the company's Network Services organization.
Carrier Services provides access and billing services to other
telecommunications carriers. TIS serves wireless carriers, resellers,
competitive facilities-based carriers, pay phone providers and independent
local exchange companies.

Pat Hanley, the current president of Bell Atlantic Carrier Services, will
head the new combined organization, which will have about 700
employees. Jack Goldberg, the president of Telecom Industry Services,
will become senior vice president for strategy and business development
in Network Services.

"We're finding that the requirements of interexchange carriers and local
telecommunications providers are becoming increasingly similar. In fact,
in many cases they are the same company," said Paul Lacouture, group
president for Network Services. "Our new combined organization will
give carriers a single point of contact for doing business with Bell
Atlantic."

Hanley, a 32-year Bell Atlantic veteran, has led Carrier Services since
1993. Previously, he was vice president for carrier marketing and sales.
During the 1980s he served in several
regulatory positions at Bell Atlantic, including vice president for
regulatory and industry affairs.

Prior to joining Bell Atlantic, Hanley was division manager for access
tariffs at Bellcore (Bell Communications Research Inc.). He also worked
for AT&T, where he was responsible for developing cost studies and
interstate tariff filings.

Hanley, a Bronx, N.Y., Native, is a graduate of St. Peter's College in New
Jersey and has an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

In his new post, Goldberg will be responsible for leading the development
of an integrated vision and strategic plan for the future direction of the
Network Services group and Bell Atlantic's wholesale business. This will
include the coordination and integration of initiatives already under
development within Network Services.

Prior to heading TIS, Goldberg served as vice president for wholesale
markets for NYNEX. He was also vice president for network
interconnection marketing and sales. He joined the Bell System in 1971
and has held positions with New England Telephone, New York
Telephone and AT&T.

Goldberg currently serves on the board of the National Exchange Carrier
Association and of DSET Corp. He has an engineering degree from City
College of New York and an M.S. degree in electrophysics from
Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He attended the New York University
Graduate School of Business Administration, studying finance and
economics.

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.