Bell Atlantic, Public Safety Agencies Attack Y2K Bug

Bell Atlantic, Public Safety Agencies
Attack Y2K Bug

Bell Atlantic's Network Ready

November 10, 1999

NEW YORK -- Bell Atlantic's network, which routes emergency calls to
911 centers and delivers information about where the call is coming from,
is "Y2K-ready," according to Skip Patterson, executive
director of Bell Atlantic's Year 2000 Program office.

The company has completed Y2K modifications for switching systems
that direct calls to the 1,086 emergency 911 centers, or Public Safety
Answering Points (PSAPs), located throughout its service territory. Bell
Atlantic has also completely remediated or replaced the systems that
collect and forward caller location information to the PSAPs.

The readiness of equipment that processes calls at the PSAPs is being
handled by either Bell Atlantic or the local public safety agencies that
operate the PSAPs, depending on the equipment. Bell Atlantic maintains
certain equipment at 787 PSAPs, and has completed Year 2000
remediation work for virtually all of that equipment . The PSAP owners
are responsible for the balance of the equipment at the 1,086 PSAP
locations, and they have been working to complete any required
equipment remediation.

"We have a high degree of confidence that 911 calls will go through
and will be handled without disruption during the Year 2000
transition," said Patterson.

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