Bell Atlantic Mobile Wireless Voicemail Assists Victims of Domestic Violence

Bell Atlantic Mobile Wireless Voicemail Assists Victims of Domestic Violence

HopeLine ^sm Available To South Asian Women Through Manavi

August 4, 1998

Union, NJ -- To assist victims of domestic violence, Bell Atlantic Mobile is
providing HopeLinesm service to Manavi, a community-based agency that
addresses the special concerns of battered women of South Asian descent.

HopeLine is a wireless voice mailbox service that acts like an answering
machine and allows victims to receive personal messages at a shelter about
interviews, appointments and other important matters. With HopeLine,
women can leave a callback number that protects their privacy and lets
them avoid the stigma associated with living at a family shelter. Victims
who are still living in their own homes with their abusers also may use
HopeLine as a secure means of communicating without their abusers
knowledge.

"Domestic violence is a growing problem that cuts across all income levels,
cultures and geographic areas," said Charles Hand, vice president, Bell
Atlantic Mobile NY/NJ Metro region. "We believe HopeLine offers a vital
service to battered women as they look for a way out of their abusive
situations and start new lives for their families."

Counselors at Manavi will use HopeLine to help their clients communicate
more easily with prospective employers, landlords and other social service
agencies. The voice mailboxes will be accessed by counselors who will
pass messages along to their clients.

"Manavi's mission is to empower women of South Asian descent and to
end violence against all women," said Shalini Gujavarty, legal coordiantor
for Manavi. "HopeLine is one more tool we can provide to our clients to
help them break away from a violent existence."

HopeLine is offered through Bell Atlantic Mobile's "Wireless at Work"
program which uses the company's wireless technology to help individuals
and communities improve security and emergency communications. Since
its inception in 1995, "Wireless at Work" has allowed Bell Atlantic Mobile
to give back to the community by bringing its wireless products and
services to various groups in need throughout the company's service area,
from Maine to northern Georgia. Over the past two years, the company has
donated over 400 wireless phones to aid victims of domestic violence living
in the New York/New Jersey area. In Union County, HopeLine is being
provided to clients of Project Protect.

Bell Atlantic Mobile owns and operates the largest wireless network in the
East, covering 112,000 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 5.5 million customers and 7,000
employees from Maine to Georgia and, through a separate subsidiary, in
the Southwest. Through its "Wireless at Work..." community relations
program, the company uses its technology to help individuals and
communities improve security and emergency communications. Bell
Atlantic Mobile's parent 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.