BELL ATLANTIC LAUNCHES CALLER ID DELUXE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 1996

BELL ATLANTIC LAUNCHES CALLER ID DELUXE IN WASHINGTON,
D.C.

Customers Will See Name as well as Phone Number on Incoming
Calls

Washington, D.C. - Bell Atlantic telephone customers in
Washington,
D.C., now have the ability to see name information on incoming calls
before answering the phone.

Beginning today, Bell Atlantic will offer Caller
ID Deluxe, an
enhanced version of Caller ID that allows customers to see the name as
well as the telephone number associated with an incoming call. Caller
ID Deluxe is already available to customers in Maryland and Virginia.

"Customers have told us what they most want to know about their
calls
is the name of the caller," said Meva Justice, Caller ID Deluxe
product manager. "Caller ID Deluxe helps customers identify
incoming
calls, allowing them to better manage their calls and adding a sense
of security."

Caller ID Deluxe is expected to be a popular service since nearly 20
percent of Bell Atlantic's customers in the District of Columbia
already subscribe to Caller ID.

Caller ID Deluxe display units show the name of the person to whom the
phone number has been issued with the last name appearing first. For
example, a call from the John Doe household might show "DOE
JOHN."
The Doe's telephone number also would appear. If no one is at home
when the call comes in, the Doe's name and number could be held in the
memory of the display unit for later access.

Name information is available on calls made within Bell Atlantic's
mid-Atlantic service area and calls originating in Ameritech's service
area in the Midwest. Bell Atlantic plans to announce agreements with
other companies to share Caller ID name information in the future.
Caller ID customers nationwide began receiving number information only
for long-distance calls originating in many parts of the United States
on Dec. 1.

Call Waiting - Caller ID Deluxe Work Hand in Hand

Customers who subscribe to both Caller ID Deluxe and Call Waiting also
will be able to see the name and number information on Call Waiting
calls. This feature, known as Call Waiting ID, helps customers decide
whether to take the call waiting call now or return it later. There
is no charge for this service; however, customers will need a display
unit that works with Call Waiting ID.

Caller ID Deluxe costs $7.50 a month for residential customers, $9.50
per month for business customers. Bell Atlantic will continue to
offer its standard Caller ID service which displays only the telephone
number of the phone being used to make the call. The cost of that
service is $6.50 per month for residential customers, $8.50 for
business customers.

Existing Caller ID customers who wish to subscribe to Caller ID Deluxe
need to obtain display units that provide both the name and the phone
number. The units may be purchased from Bell Atlantic Teleproducts or
at retail stores. To determine if a display unit is compatible with
Caller ID Deluxe or to order the service, residential customers should
call their Bell Atlantic Residential Service Center on
202-954-6263.
Business customers should call the Bell Atlantic Business Service
Center on 202-954-6275.

Through May 31, first time residential Caller ID and Caller ID Deluxe
subscribers can get the first month's service free. Through June 30,
new residential subscribers also can get a Caller ID Deluxe display
unit worth $70 for only $5, or they may choose a $27.50 credit on
their phone bill.

Two Features Address Privacy Concerns

Those who do not want their name and phone number revealed on a Caller
ID device can elect, at no charge, to have the information blocked on
the calls they make. To activate Per Call Blocking, customers dial
*67 on a Touch-Tone phone (1167 on a rotary phone) prior to placing
each call.

D. C. customers also can elect to have Per Line Blocking, which
prevents their phone number from being transmitted every time they
make a call. Per Line Blocking is available on request at no charge
to D.C. customers with non-published and non-listed numbers. Per Line
Blocking is available to other customers for $1 per month for
residential listings and $2 per month for business listings.

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:

Joan Rasmussen, 703-974-8815
joan.m.rasmussen@bell-atl.com