GTE's new nationwide fiber network two-thirds complete, delivering high-speed capacity for Internet and voice traffic. Global Network Infrastructure (GNI) to becompleted in 1999 -- positioning GTE for

IRVING, Texas - GTE Corp. today announced that its new nationwide, high-speed, high-capacity, private fiber network is more than two-thirds operational, and will be fully completed later this year.

Known as the Global Network Infrastructure (GNI), GTE has activated approximately 12,000 miles of its planned 17,000-mile network. GTE's private network is already providing capacity for Internet and voice traffic along high-traffic corridors across the country including major markets such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York and Boston.

"Providing state-of-the-art transport is a cornerstone piece of GTE's high-growth, data-centric strategy. Our network is fast, flexible and full of fire-power. With the progressive buildout of the GNI, we have what it takes to help GTE be even more successful today, and in the years ahead," said GTE Internetworking President Paul R. Gudonis. "We're building a private network that will support the operations of GTE's business units and their millions of customers. The GNI will provide industry-leading capacity to support a broad array of advanced voice, video and data services including fax and voice over the Internet, unified messaging, broadband videoconferencing and distance learning."

For instance, GTE Internetworking will use the GNI to support its new nationally available Internet Protocol (IP) Fax and Internet Call Waiting services announced today, as well as other enhanced IP-based services to be introduced throughout the year. Separately, GTE Communications Corporation, the national, sales, service and marketing arm of GTE Corp., currently utilizes the GNI to deliver long-distance voice and data traffic, and expects the high-capacity network to carry more than one billion minutes of use by the end of 1999.

By mid-year, the GNI will span more than 100 major markets from coast-to-coast, providing underlying capacity for GTE business units so that they can offer a variety of services including asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), frame relay, long-distance, and private line. These services, in turn, support a cross-section of applications such as Internet access, Web hosting, virtual private networks, dial-up access and electronic commerce.

"Long before many others in our industry, GTE recognized the value and efficiencies of providing capacity over a state-of-the-art transport facility like the GNI," added Gudonis. "The GNI incorporates the 30 years of data networking expertise gained through GTE's acquisition of BBN last year."

The GNI supports the mission-critical data and voice communication needs of GTE business units' customers, using the latest technology from industry leaders, including Nortel Networks, Cisco Systems and Ascend Communications.

Upon completion, GTE's GNI will be one of the most secure, reliable, high-capacity, end-to-end, multi-service, private networks in the industry, capable of eliminating single points of network failure through the use of synchronous optical network (SONET) rings and automatic protection switching (APS). By using OC-192 (10 Gbps) optical electronics and dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM), the GNI provides virtually limitless capacity to meet the demands of GTE customers' most data-intensive applications.

GTE's Global Network Infrastructure Supports Multiple Service Offerings

"We are going well beyond building a next-generation infrastructure by developing the capacity needed by GTE's business units that provide real-time services to their customers, Internet service providers, selected long distance carriers and Fortune 500 companies," said Steven H. Blumenthal, vice president and general manager for GTE's Global Network Infrastructure. "With millions of people and businesses relying on the Internet for communication, they need to know that the underlying network supporting GTE's Internet services is available when they need it, and that their information is delivered on time."

The enabling capabilities of the GNI are backed by an infrastructure that supports the industry's most robust mix of data and voice services using dedicated repair and customer care centers, billing systems and a highly qualified sales and engineering staff.

The GNI supports both domestic and global needs by connecting to GTE Internetworking's European Points of Presence (PoPs) through undersea fiber. In the future, undersea fiber extensions will provide high-speed connections to Latin America and Pacific Rim countries, including many markets that are already served by GTE Internetworking.

The expansion of the GNI this year will benefit from the latest equipment and technologies. In the second half of the year, the GNI will be an end-to-end platform capable of providing the high-speed transport facility necessary for GTE's business units to offer their customers valuable services, while significantly improving the quality and manner in which they communicate.

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About GTE

With 1997 revenues of more than $23 billion, GTE is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and a leading provider of integrated telecommunications services. In the United States, GTE provides local service in 28 states and wireless service in 17 states; nationwide long-distance and internetworking services ranging from dial-up Internet access for residential and small-business consumers to Web-based applications for Fortune 500 companies; as well as video service in selected markets. Outside the United States, the company serves more than seven million telecommunications customers. GTE is also a leader in government and defense communications systems and equipment, directories and telecommunications-based information services, and aircraft-passenger telecommunications. Additional information about GTE can be found on the Internet at http://www.gte.com. The current GNI map is located at http://www.bbn.com/products/maps/gni.htm.