TELECOM REFORM BILL SIGNING HITS THE 'NET -- LIVE!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 1996

TELECOM REFORM BILL SIGNING
HITS THE 'NET --
LIVE!

High-speed Bell Atlantic network links Library of
Congress
to Internet for signing ceremony

ARLINGTON, VA -- When President Clinton signs the
Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996 into law today at the Library of
Congress in Washington, the historic event will be carried live in
cyberspace, complete with sound and video.

Bell Atlantic is teaming with the Library of Congress and Fore
Systems, Inc. to put the bill signing ceremony on the Internet. Later,
the Library of Congress site will be linked for an interactive
videoconference with high school students located in Arlington, Va., and
San Diego, Ca.

Bell Atlantic is connecting the Library of Congress to the
Advanced Technology Demonstration Network [ATDNet] via a high-speed,
fiber-optic, synchronous optical network [SONET] link. ATDNet is an
experimental telecommunications network provided by Bell Atlantic for a
number of federal government agencies in the Washington metropolitan
area. ATDNet is based on SONET and asynchronous transfer mode [ATM]
technologies that can handle voice, data and video signals at very high
transmission speeds of up to 622 megabits per second.

FORE Systems is providing the Library of Congress's ATM ASX-200
switches, as well as connectivity to the computer to be used in the
signing ceremony.

The ATM signal from the Library of Congress will be sent over
another government research network from an ATDNet site in the Washington
area to San Diego, where it will be connected to the Internet. People
then may view the signing using the Internet's "MBONE"
[Multicast Backbone on the Internet] capability.

"Networks incorporating technologies like those being used
to place this bill signing on the Internet will bring consumers the
telecommunications services of tomorrow," said Barbara Connor,
president of Bell Atlantic's Federal Systems line of business.
"Bell Atlantic is proud to play a role in sharing this milestone
with the world."

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.

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for more information, contact:

For Bell Atlantic: Harry Mitchell
703-974-1720 [Feb. 8]
304-344-7562 [after Feb. 8]
harry.j.mitchell@bell-atl.com

For the Library of Congress: Guy Lamolinara
202-707-9217