BELL ATLANTIC UPGRADES HIGH-SPEED VIDEOCONFERENCING SERVICE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 1996

BELL ATLANTIC UPGRADES HIGH-SPEED VIDEOCONFERENCING
SERVICE

Business Customers Now Can Hold Meetings
in Multiple Cities Without Leaving the Office

Arlington, VA -- Who says you can't be several places
at once?

Not us. We can't think of a single reason why a busy executive in
Philadelphia shouldn't be able to meet face-to-face with a sales
manager in Chicago, a lawyer in Manhattan, an R&D manager in Detroit
and a customer in Los Angeles -- all at the same time, all in their
own offices and all without spending a fortune on planes, trains and
automobiles.

In fact, we think business customers should be able to hold
inexpensive video conferences at 2 a.m., if the need arises.

That's why we came up with Bell Atlantic® Group Link Video Service,
or GLVS, our latest offering in state-of-the-art, high-speed,
multi-point video conferencing. All it takes is one call, and for as
little as $45 per hour per port, businesses can hold face-to-face
meetings with multiple, far-flung sites -- 24 hours a day.

With little effort and less expense, compressed video customers now
can use GLVS to link multiple teleconferencing locations and create
low-cost virtual meetings.

Anytime. Anywhere.

The All@once program makes ordering GLVS a snap. Business customers
can buy equipment, installation and network services, such as
Integrated Services Digital
Network (ISDN) transport, all from one
source.

"Cost conscious companies no longer have to spend thousands of vital
capital dollars on video bridging equipment, or incur the expense of
maintaining a bridge," said Joseph Cascio, vice president -
marketing,
Bell Atlantic Large Business Services. "In addition, this system is
capable of meeting the needs of increasingly competitive businesses
that operate round-the-clock."

Scheduling a GLVS conference is as easy as following these simple
steps:

• Call 1-800-816-1191 to schedule a conference.
• Fill out two forms.
• Make one call to the bridge's dial-in number on Bell
  Atlantic's ISDN service.

Features of Group Link Video Service

Enhanced Bandwidth -- Customers with video systems
capable of
transmitting higher speeds on an H.320 video system can enhance the
picture resolution of their videoconference by tapping into a wide
range of available bandwidth speeds, from 112-128 kilobits per second
(Kbps), to 336-384 Kbps, depending on the customer's needs.

Audio Add-On -- People who are on the move,
telecommuting without
video service, or simply stuck in hotel rooms or convention facilities
can join a Group Link Video Service conference via audio add-on. This
capability lets customers dial into the bridge just as they would on
an audio conference call.

Continuous Presence -- The richness of a video
conference is enhanced
by Group Link Video Service's optional continuous presence feature.
This enables customers to view four other video conference sites
simultaneously. "This is a significant advance for businesses that
need video conferencing facilities for training, executive meetings or
distance learning," Cascio said. "Meetings are more productive
when we
can read each other's body language. And you really need one-on-one
interaction to seal a deal."

Rates that Meet Customer Needs -- Group Link Video
Service is
available at a rate of $45 to $55 per hour per port, depending on
speed.

Evening and weekend conference calls at discounted rates can save
money for Group Link Video Services customers. In addition, the one-
or two-year term agreement for dedicated ports eliminates the costs of
monitoring, maintaining and reserving time on a privately owned
bridge.

Users also can buy dedicated ports under a one or two-year term
agreement. Those ports are available to customers 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, and give businesses the ability to hold video
conferences at any time.

"Linking businesses together fast and flexibly is our goal,"
Cascio
said. "We're doing that by delivering innovative, dependable,
full-service communications solutions at a fair price."

Bell Atlantic's Large Business Services organization offers customers
Bell
Atlantic All@once Solutions: integrated voice, data and video
applications and the professional consulting and support services that
add up to a precise solution that fits and evolves to meet customers'
specific communications needs.

Bell Atlantic Corporation (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.

####

Media contact:

Tim Ireland (703) 974-5455
timothy.ireland@bell-atl.com