Bell Atlantic Names Jill Wagner Vice President -- Marketing for Long Distance

Bell Atlantic Names Jill Wagner Vice
President -- Marketing for
Long Distance

July 20, 1999

NEW YORK -- A 22-year veteran of the telecommunications
and high technology industries who led Southern New England Telephone
(SNET) into a new competitive era will oversee the multi-million dollar
marketing effort for Bell Atlantic's new consumer long distance offering,
the corporation announced today.

Jill Wagner will join Bell Atlantic Communications, Inc. in the newly
created position of vice president -- marketing. She will be responsible for
the launch of the corporation's long distance service to 22 million homes,
the development of innovative calling plans, and other initiatives. Wagner
will report to Maura C. Breen, president and CEO, Bell Atlantic
Communications, Inc.

"Jill's track record in the industry is extraordinary," said
Breen. "Under her leadership of SNET's consumer and small
business marketing, the company gained 56 percent market share of
customers after introducing its long distance product, became the number
one Internet service provider in its territory and fostered customer loyalty.
Jill is an innovative marketer who brings great skills to her new job of
introducing real competition into the long distance arena."

Wagner began her career in AT&T's management development program in
1977. In 1983, she joined MCI Communications and managed the
corporate development team responsible for strategic and new product
planning. In 1985, Wagner moved to IBM, where she managed marketing
and sales for various products, networking systems and applications
software divisions.

Prior to joining SNET in 1993, Wagner was a consultant with
Yankelovich Partners and was responsible for the overall direction of the
international affiliate network, key account market strategies, human
resources and corporate-wide training.

Following the successful launch of SNET's long distance offering, Wagner
focused on the arrival of local competition in the telephone company's
service territory. Most recently, she oversaw the creation of integrated
product packages, including a variety of services.

"I'm delighted to join Bell Atlantic at a watershed moment in its
history," Wagner said. "And I'm eager to help lead the charge
into the New York residential market and beyond. Our long distance
products will be superb, will meet the residential market's needs, and will
be matched by a customer care strategy unequalled in today's long distance
market."

Wagner holds a master's degree in policy analysis from Harvard
University and a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial administration
from Iowa State University (ISU). Wagner lives in Westport, Conn., and
will be based in New York.

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.