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RNS Number:2979A
Bell Atlantic Corp
4 November 1999


                                                    Contact:
                                                    John Killian, Bell Atlantic
                                                    212-395-1152

                                                    George Leib, GTE
                                                    972-507-2462




                           Bell Atlantic and GTE
                   Announce Leadership For Merged Company

NEW YORK and IRVING, Texas - GTE Chairman and CEO Charles R.Lee and Bell
Atlantic Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg announced today the broad organization
of the company to be formed through the Bell Atlantic-GTE merger, and designated
six executives to fill key positions upon completion of the transaction.

Three of those executives -- Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr., Michael T. Masin and
Frederic V. Salerno - will be named vice chairmen with specific responsibilities
as described below.

As previously announced, Lee and Seidenberg will be co-CEOs and chairman and
president, respectively, of the new company.  They will be the inside directors
on the new company's board, along with a set of outside directors drawn from the
two companies' existing boards.  The executives designated today will report to
Lee and Seidenberg.

Babbio, currently Bell Atlantic president and COO, has been designated president
as well as vice chairman, with responsibility for the new company's domestic
wireline business.  He will also be responsible for long distance, information
technology, procurement services and technology research.

Masin, currently GTE vice chairman and president of GTE International, also has
been designated president as well as vice chairman, with responsibility for
international wireline and wireless operations, international connectivity,
domestic and international directory and information services, and GTE
Internetworking.

Dennis F. Strigl, chairman and CEO of Bel Atlantic's Global Wireless Group, has
been designated executive vice president  of the new company, and president of
its domestic wireless business, which ultimately will include the U.S assets of
Vodafone AirTouch.

When the Vodafone AirTouch transaction is completed, Strigl will join the board
of the new wireless venture, along with Seidenberg, who will chair this board,
Babbio, Masin and three representatives from Vodafone AirTouch, including
Vodafone AirTouch chief executive Chris Gent.

Salerno, currently Bell Atlantic senior executive vice president and chief
financial officer, has been designated chief financial officer of the new
company as well as vice chairman, and will head the corporate finance group.

William P. Barr has been designated executive vice president and general
counsel, heading up the Legal, Regulatory and Government Affairs group.  Barr is
currently GTE executive vice president - Government and Regulatory Advocacy and
general counsel.

J. Randall MacDonald, GTE executive vice president - Human Resources and
Administration, has been designated executive vice president of human resources
for the new company.

The designated executives will be based at the new company's headquarters in New
York City.

"As we move closer to the completion of our merger, I believe more strongly than
ever that we are creating one of the top telecommunications companies in the
world," Lee said.  "It will be the role of these key leaders to help further
define how we structure within these broad umbrellas to ensure we come out of
the blocks quickly one our merger is approved, and capture the tremendous growth
in our industry."

"Today we have created a framework in which we can align our two companies and
build upon our respective strengths," Seidenberg said.  "We have also made
choices from two of the deepest management teams in the industry.  Our
designated executives will have the accountability and decision-making authority
necessary to start the next phase of merger planning."

Bell Atlantic and GTE announced a merger of equals in July 1998 that will create
the leading U.S. wireline and wireless communications provider, with more than
60 million access lines and 21 million wireless customers.  To date, shareowners
of  both companies have approved the merger, and the Department of Justice has
cleared the merger.  Regulators in 7 states and the Federal Communications
Commission are currently considering the public interest benefits of the merger.
 More information on the merger is available at Bell Atlantic's News Center on
the World Wide Web (http://www.ba.com) or at GTE's homepage
(http://www.gte.com).


END
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