Fourth Grader Bolts to First Place in Internet Guide Yellow Pages Mascot Contest

FOURTH GRADER "BOLTS" TO FIRST PLACE IN INTERNET GUIDE YELLOW
PAGES MASCOT CONTEST

Bell Atlantic Congratulates Grand Prize and Two
Second Place Winners at Awards Ceremony

June 24, 1997

BETHESDA, Md.--Taylor Embree's "Lightning Man" is the new Bell
Atlantic Internet Guide Yellow Pages mascot. The fourth Grader from
Kensington, Md., submitted the grand prize winning entry in the Bell
Atlantic Internet Guide Yellow Pages mascot contest sponsored by Bell
Atlantic, Microsoft Mid-Atlantic, HomePC magazine and the Journal
Newspapers.

Some 350 fourth and fifth graders from Montgomery, Prince George's and
Fairfax counties submitted imaginative Internet mascot drawings in the
competiton.

Embree, 10, was awarded a personal computer donated by Microsoft
Mid-Atlantic for his efforts in creating a clever, unique mascot (see
above) personifying the wonders of the Internet.

The grand prize mascot is featured on the Bell Atlantic Internet
Guide's corresponding web site (www.iosg.com) which compliments the
Internet Guide, a step-by-step handbook for beginners on the Internet.

The Internet Guide, bound inside the Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages, will
be delivered to Suburban Maryland residents beginning in October 1997
and Northern Virginia residents beginning in January 1998.
Local fourth and fifth grade students were invited by Bell Atlantic to
create an Internet mascot by submitting a hand-drawing of a lively
cartoon character. Judges from the sponsoring companies selected the
winners based on creativity and artistic talent.

The grand prize and two second place winners received their award
certificates, prizes and kudos at an awards reception at the Bell
Atlantic Directory Services headquarters in Bethesda, Md.

The two second place winners were Cara Shewchuk, 10, and Danielle
Feuerberg, 10, two fourth graders from Centreville, Va.

"Bell Atlantic Directory Services encourages children of all ages to
get involved with the evolution of the Internet as we move into the
21st century," said Greg Hanifee, product manager, Bell Atlantic
Internet Guide. "As one of the judges, I was impressed with the
tremendous level of creativity_every drawing was a winner."

The Internet Guide is a primer for novices to the Internet in easy to
understand language. The guide provides an overview and simple
step-by-step instructions for getting started on the Internet and the
World Wide Web.

The Internet Guide is located in the front of the directory and will
become a standard part of the Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages. The
full-color guide is printed on durable, coated paper.

Internet Guide sections include: Welcome to Cyberspace, Getting
Started, The Basic Gear, Connecting to the Web, Internet Suite
Software, Shopping for an Internet Service Provider, How to Find
Anything on the Web, The Best Web Sites, Learning the Lingo and
Internet Directory.

Bell Atlantic has begun delivery of the Internet Guide in the
Loudoun/Fauquier, Va., and Elizabeth, N. J., Yellow Pages. Over the
next two years, the Internet Guide will be included in additional
Yellow Pages, reaching nearly every consumer and business in Bell
Atlantic's service area.

Bell Atlantic Directory Services publishes more than 234 print
directories annually including white pages telephone listings, Yellow
Pages, business-to-business Yellow Pages, bilingual directories and
community directories. Collectively, that is 35 million books or 41
billion pages of information, delivered every year to Bell Atlantic
customers throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland,
Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Bell Atlantic Corp. (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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