BAN Banco Lat.8%Pfd

RNS No 3792f
NORTHERN TELECOM LIMITED   
8 April 1999


BELL ATLANTIC & NORTEL NETWORKS SIGN AGREEMENTS WITH POTENTIAL VALUE OF 
US$1 BILLION

Delivering Leading-Edge High Speed Access Networks, the Innovative Deal Also
provides Bell Atlantic the flexibility to Choose Future Technology

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. - Nortel Networks* (NYSE:NT/TSE:NTL) today
announced two agreements with Bell Atlantic with a potential value of
approximately US$1 Billion, for a Unified Networks* Solution of products and
services to be delivered over the next three to five years.  The first agreement
awards Nortel Networks approximately 50 percent of the purchases Bell Atlantic
expects to make over the next five years for next generation digital loop
carrier equipment enabling their high-speed access networks.  The second
agreement provides for current and future DMS* hardware and software.

Bell Atlantic and Nortel Networks have crafted the two agreements to reflect
their commitment to a strong, ongoing business alliance, with Nortel Networks'
newest technology as it is developed.

"These new contracts meet our objective of bringing the best technology and
service to our customers in the most cost-effective manner." said Paul
Lacouture, Bell Atlantic president for Network Services. "With these contracts
signed, we will move forward with our aggressive plans to expand availability of
our high-speed data products and to deploy more high-capacity, capability in our
network."


ACCESS AGREEMENT

The access agreement awards Nortel Networks approximately 50 percent of the
purchases Bell Atlantic expects to make over the next five years for next
generation digital loop carrier equipment enabling their high-speed access
networks at an estimated potential value of US$600 million.  The cornerstone of
the Nortel Networks access equipment offering is Nortel Networks' new
multi-service high-speed access platform, the Universal Edge* 9000 (UE9000),
which provides a smooth evolution path to mission-critical IP networks.  All
access network elements will be managed by Nortel Networks' state-of-the-art
Integrated Network Management (INM) system.

This award is the result of a highly competitive bidding environment, and
represents a significant win for Nortel Networks.  Bell Atlantic is already
deploying a number of Nortel Networks solutions, including AccessNode to serve
its top-tier customers in Manhattan.

"We are witnessing an epic shift in today's networks," said Ian Craig,
president, Carrier Solutions, Nortel Networks.  "As system intelligence moves to
the edge of the network and closer to consumers, leading-edge service providers
like Bell Atlantic are looking for innovative ways to extend and manage their
networks to efficiently deliver a new mix of data, IP, voice and video.  Nortel
Networks is pleased to support Bell Atlantic in its quest to deliver those
services to its customers with the highest degrees of flexibility, reliability
and cost-effectiveness in a full-service, future-looking, end-to-end solutions."

"We understand the challenge facing our customers to dynamically reconfigure
their networks to handle the explosive growth of data, while at the same time
leverage the investment of their current installed base," said Dough Martin,
vice president, Major Accounts, Nortel Networks.  "With these breakthrough
agreements we have executed a solution with Bell Atlantic that allows both
companies to expand the way we do business.



NEXT GENERATION IP NETWORKS

In addition to the high speed data access award, the second agreement between
Nortel Networks and Bell Atlantic provides for the supply of several other
strategic products that will integrate and provide the core infrastructure of
these next generation IP networks.  The key hardware elements of this contract
are Nortel Networks' new scalable XA Core processor; and the DMS SuperNode Data
Manager for AMA processing power.  This agreement also includes several key
software deliverables such as AIN 0.2 and Signaling Transfer Point applications.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information
industry.  With more than 42 million telephone access lines and more than eight
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 investors in high-growth global
communications markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.

Nortel networks delivers value to customers around the world through Unified
Networks* solutions, spannng mission-critical telephony and IP-optimized
networks.  Customers include public and private enterprises and institutions;
Internet service provders; local, long-distance, cellular and PCS communications
companies, cable television carriers, and utilities.

Nortel Networks' common shares are listed on the New York, Toronto, Montreal,
Vancouver, and London stock exchanges.  Nortel Networks had 1998 revenues of
US$17.6 billion and has approximately 75,000 employees worldwide.

* Nortel Networks, the Nortel Networks Globemark, Unified Networks, DMS,
DMS-100, Universal Edge, SuperNode and How the world shares ideas are trademarks
of Northern Telecom Limited

For more information:
Joanne Latham                                     Mark Marchand
Nortel Networks                                   Bell Atlantic
919-997-7841                                      (518) 396-1080
joannel@nortelnetworks.com

Frank McNally
Nortel Networks
703-712-8374
fmcnally@nortelnetworks.com
Or visit Nortel networks' website at www.nortelnetworks.com


END



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