Bell Atlantic Mobile Launches Online Bill Delivery, Payment

Bell Atlantic Mobile Launches Online
Bill Delivery, Payment

Wireless Customers Benefit from Convenient Online Access to
Account Status, Usage Patterns

October 5, 1999

BEDMINSTER -- Bell Atlantic Mobile customers now have the ability to
view their account and pay their wireless phone bills online, an emerging
trend with consumers.

Bell Atlantic Mobile is one of the few carriers in the wireless industry to
offer customers a comprehensive array of automated services, with no
human intervention. Last year, the company was the first to launch a
fully-automated Internet store. From the comfort of home, any time of
day or night, customers can purchase service online, activate service, shop
for phones and accessories, view current promotions, view their account
balance, see answers to a host of commonly-asked questions and copies of
service terms and conditions -- and now receive and pay their bill.

Bill payment via the Internet is a new and growing trend, in step with the
exploding popularity of e-commerce in general. According to New York-
based research firm Jupiter Communications, 15 million households will
pay bills online by 2002, a huge jump from only three million households
this year.

With Bell Atlantic Mobile's newest service, customers can sign up for one
of two options for viewing and paying their bill online at www.bam.com:

• Customers can choose to view their monthly bill statements,
  including the back-up call data, via the company's web site, and
  still receive a paper copy in the mail for payment. At any time,
  customers can access their most recent bill, as well as up to six
  months of past online bills so that they can readily see their
  usage patterns and charges over a period of time. The site also
  will display a list of frequently asked billing questions and a
  primer on how to read their bill.

• Customers who opt to pay online will be notified by e-mail
  each month when their new bill is available to view. To pay,
  customers go to the online billing site and submit their
  electronic payment, which will be directly debited from their
  specified checking account.

"We want our customers to have access to comprehensive online
account information and the ability to pay their bills with just a few
keyboard strokes," said Debra Carroll, vice president-marketing for
Bell Atlantic Mobile. "In addition, by giving customers a wealth of
information online about their account that they can review at their leisure,
we provide a flexible, open environment for doing business with Bell
Atlantic Mobile."

To ensure customer privacy, Bell Atlantic Mobile uses a secure connection
--using SSL (Secure Socket Layer), a widely-used mechanism by
electronic commerce Web sites -- to transmit customer information. This
provides a private secured communication between the browser and Bell
Atlantic Mobile's Web server.

A leader in e-commerce within the wireless industry, Bell Atlantic Mobile
opened the industry's first fully automated Online Store in September
1998. More than a fancy e-mail system like some other sites, the
electronic store ties directly into the same strong "back office"
systems as the company's network of "physical"
Communications Stores and other distribution channels. The addition of
e-commerce benefits both customers and the company. Customers benefit
from the convenience of a simple, secure online experience without human
intervention. Bell Atlantic Mobile benefits from the low-cost and broad reach of
interacting with customers over the Internet.

Bell Atlantic Mobile owns and operates the largest wireless network in the
East and systems in the Southwest, covering 180,000 square miles, and the
largest chain of retail outlets devoted exclusively to wireless voice, data
and paging. Based in Bedminster, NJ, Bell Atlantic Mobile has 6.6
million customers and 8,000 employees from Maine to Georgia and in
parts of Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas. Through its
"Wireless at Work..." community service program, the
company uses its technology to help individuals and communities improve
security and emergency communications. Bell Atlantic Mobile's parent,
Bell Atlantic Corporation (NYSE:BEL) is one of the world's largest
wireless communications companies, with domestic operations in 25 states
and international investments in Mexico, Europe and the Pacific Rim. For
more information on Bell Atlantic Mobile visit: www.bam.com; on global
operations visit: www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.