Bell Atlantic To Sell Common Stock Directly To Investors

Bell Atlantic To Sell Common Stock Directly To Investors

Buying Bell Atlantic Stock Easy, Less Costly

March 10, 1997

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Investors can now buy Bell Atlantic
common stock
(NYSE:BEL) directly from the company, avoiding high brokerage fees,
the company announced today.

New investors can buy shares of Bell Atlantic stock under the plan
with an initial investment of $1,000 or more. Additional purchases can
be made for as little as $50.

"There are a lot of investors, large and small, who are genuinely
excited about Bell Atlantic. They want to be a part of our future.
I'm delighted that we've developed an easy, low-cost, way for them to
do just that," said Peter D. Crawford, Bell Atlantic's executive
director for investor and shareowner relations.

The prospectus for the Bell Atlantic Direct Invest program is written
in everyday plain English. "Complex legal language is nowhere to be
found. The average reader will be able to look at this document cover
to cover and understand all there is to know about the program,"
Crawford said.

In addition to direct stock purchases, investors will be able to:

• reinvest all or a portion of their quarterly dividends conveniently
  and economically;
• buy additional shares and pay by check or through automatic monthly
  deductions from their bank accounts;
• establish an Individual Retirement Account of Bell Atlantic stock;
• deposit their Bell Atlantic stock certificates with the Bell
  Atlantic's transfer agent for safekeeping at no charge;
• sell Bell Atlantic shares through the company without broker's
  charges.

Investors will pay modest fees when buying or selling shares through
the plan, but the cost will be considerably less than brokerage fees.
For example, the one-time enrollment fee is $5. The fee for
reinvesting dividends is 5 percent of the amount invested with a
minimum charge of $1 and a maximum charge of $2. The charge for
buying additional shares by check is $2.50, or $1 by automatic monthly
deductions from a bank account.

Individuals will receive an up-to-date statement of their account each
time they buy shares through the program.

The agent for the Bell Atlantic Direct Invest plan is The First
National Bank of Boston. A prospectus may be obtained by calling
800-631-2355, or may be viewed on the World Wide Web at
http://www.bell-atl.com/invest.

Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE: BEL) is
at the forefront of the new
communications, entertainment and information industry. In the
mid-Atlantic region, the company is the premier provider 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.

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