Bell Atlantic Leads NetMonth Effort to Wire Schools for Access to the Internet

September 19, 1996

Bell Atlantic Leads NetMonth Effort to Wire Schools for
Access to the Internet

Company Joins Thousands of Volunteers Nationwide

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Over 400 Bell Atlantic volunteers will
spend their
Saturday's until the end of October wiring schools in New Jersey,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of
Columbia so that students can cruise the information superhighway.

Their effort will support NetMonth which evolved from NetDay, a
national grass-roots initiative that began in California. NetDay
volunteers pick a day to donate their time and expertise to install
computer wiring networks inside public, private and alternative K-12
schools. These networks will connect the schools to the Internet.
NetMonth volunteers in over 40 states, including Bell Atlantic
employees and Telephone Pioneers, parents, teachers and community
members, hope to wire thousands of schools before the end of October.

Bell Atlantic installers, wire systems engineers and others will bring
their expertise to the program. Bell Atlantic is also contributing
funds and will provide wiring kits for up to 300 schools. The kits
include 2000 feet of Category five cable, jacks, face plates and
patch panels to connect the wiring to computers.

"This is a community initiative that will enable teachers to
integrate
computer software and Internet access into their curriculums," said
Edward D. Young III,
Bell Atlantic Vice President and Associate
General Counsel. "With all these connections in place, the
possibilities for learning will be greatly enriched, and as creative
and fun as a child's imagination. We are pleased to play a leading
role in NetMonth because it's a natural extension of our long-standing
commitment to improving the quality of education throughout our
region."

NetMonth's goal is to wire at least five classrooms and a library or
computer lab in each school. "Each school that is wired moves
closer
to the National Information Infrastructure (NII), so that classroom
learning will be more effective," Young said.

Bell Atlantic has other initiatives underway to wire schools and help
classroom teachers throughout its region.

For more information about NetDay or NetMonth, visit the NetDay 96
World Wide Web site (http://www.netday96.com).

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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Media contact:

Michel Daley (202) 392-1021
michel.l.daley@bell-atl.com