Consumers Get Faster, More Reliable Internet Connections with Bell Atlantic.net

Consumers Get Faster, More Reliable Internet Connections
with Bell Atlantic.net

Report Card Rates Internet Performance Among Best
in Industry

11 de febrero de 1999

RESTON, Va. -- Customers of Bell Atlantic.net enjoy Internet
connections that are among the fastest and most reliable in the country,
according to a leading industry report card.

Inverse Network Technology, an independent research service that
monitors the performance of Internet service providers, gave Bell
Atlantic.net high marks for the ability of users to connect to the Internet
24-hours a day, from 6 p.m. to midnight and during business hours (from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m.) in the October-December quarter of 1998.

"We're receiving high grades for reliability because we've invested very
heavily in our network to ensure high quality performance," said Myles
Mendelsohn, vice president and general manager of Bell Atlantic Internet
Solutions "As a result, Bell Atlantic.net subscribers get one of the fastest
dialup services available, they spend less time accessing information they
want and less time downloading files and other resources from the World
Wide Web."

Bell Atlantic.net had a nearly perfect record - seven "A+s" and two "As"
out of nine grades - for the ease of making round-the-clock connections
and the ability to make connections during business hours and the busy
evening hours. In each category, Bell Atlantic.net connection rates easily
beat the industry average for the October-December quarter*.

In addition, Inverse results for January 1999 show that over 96 percent of
Bell Atlantic.net customers connected to cyberspace at speeds of 28.8kbps
or better. For the industry in general, only 71 percent of connections met
or exceeded this speed.

"The fact that Bell Atlantic.net receives A+ or A grades which are
consistently above the industry average clearly indicates that we are
delivering superior performance for our customers. Our customers already
trust us to provide their phone service. We want to be their choice to
access the Internet because we have the fastest and easiest connections
around," Mendelsohn said.

Bell Atlantic Internet Solutions recently completed an extensive network
upgrade that supports customers who go online using a 56-kilobit modem.
The upgrade provides widespread access to customers in the Bell Atlantic
region using the new 56k industry standard, known as V.90. In addition,
Bell Atlantic.net offers high-speed dialup Internet connections through
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) technology and the Bell
Atlantic Infospeed family of products powered by Digital Subscriber Line
(DSL) technology.

Bell Atlantic Internet Solutions offers fast, easy and affordable Internet
access from the home or a small business with a variety of pricing
packages. Bell Atlantic Internet Solutions also provides superior
customer care, including well trained professionals who answer customer
calls 24-hours a day, seven days a week, as well as extensive e-mail
support with prompt responses and an innovative on-line help section.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With more than 42 million telephone access lines
and 8.6 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies
are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market
leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory
information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest
investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations
and investments in 23 countries.

*The industry average includes the following companies: America Online,
AT&T WorldNet, Cable and Wireless, CompuServe, Concentric,
Earthlink, GTE.net, IBM, Microsoft Network, Mindspring, NETCOM,
Prodigy and UUNET.