GTE is first National ISP to offer Internet users a way to answer calls while surfing the Internet

DALLAS - Customers of GTE's online access service now do not have to worry about missing an important phone call when they are surfing the Internet. For many households with a single telephone line, GTE has eliminated this often frustrating issue by offering GTE Internet Call Manager (ICM) to its Internet subscriber base.

GTE Internet Call Manager costs between $5.95 and $7.95 per month and provides Internet users with a pop-up computer screen menu that identifies an incoming caller's name and number and offers options to respond to the call while on the Internet.

"We continue to improve our customer's online experience by adding flexibility and efficiency to customer communications," said Martin Prazak, Product Manager, GTE Internet services. "By providing customers with cutting-edge services, GTE not only expands Internet functionality but also maximizes the use of a single telephone line."

About Internet Call Manager

The basic level of service, Internet Call Manager Classic, costs $5.95 per month with an initial set-up fee of $5.00. This level of service enables users to notify the caller through a customized message that the call will be returned later or users can select the ignore option and the caller will receive a message that the person being called is busy.

Internet Call Manger Deluxe costs $7.95 per month with an initial set-up fee of $5.00. This service level provides the caller with the additional option to answer the call. If this option is selected, the Internet connection is dropped and the call is routed through the regular telephone service network almost instantly.

GTE Internet Call Manager is currently available in key cities in Florida and Oregon. The service will be rolled out to households across the nation later this summer.

GTE Internet Call Manager software is easy to install and use and customers can register online at www.gte-icm.net. Customers must reside within the calling area that is local to a GTE point of presence (POP). Internet Call Manager requires Windows95 or Windows98 and a 14.4 kbps modem or faster. Internet Call Manager is not compatible with voicemail service from local telephone companies.

GTE Internet Call Manager leverages GTE's 17,000 mile nationwide high-speed, private fiber network, the Global Network Infrastructure (GNI). This network allows GTE to simplify its customer's communications using products like Internet Call Manager. The GNI enables delivery of this capability to the customer, reducing the need for multiple telephone lines. The capacity, combined with the monitoring of this network, make the deployment and use of this leading-edge solution more efficient and reliable.

About GTE

GTE Internet services, a unit of GTE Corporation (NYSE:GTE), offers online access services to residential and small business customers. With more than 700 local points of presence nation-wide, its customer base has grown from 70,000 in 1996 to more than 850,000 subscribers currently.

With 1998 revenues of more than $25 billion, GTE is a leading telecommunications provider with one of the industry's broadest arrays of products and services. In the United States, GTE provides local service in 28 states and wireless service in 17 states, as well as nationwide long-distance, directory, and internetworking services ranging from dial-up Internet access for residential and small-business consumers to Web-based applications for Fortune 500 companies. Outside the United States, the company serves customers on five continents. More information about GTE Corp. can be found on the Internet at http://www.gte.com.

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