Bell Atlantic Mobile CEO Shares Vision for the Next Great Growth Leap in Wireless

BEDMINSTER, NJ — During his keynote speech delivered today at the Yankee Group's 6th Annual Wireless/Mobile Conference, Dennis F. Strigl, group president and CEO of Bell Atlantic Global Wireless Group, shared with attendees Bell Atlantic Mobile's success story on migrating its network and its customers to digital.

Calling 1998 "The Year Digital Came of Age," Strigl said that digital "will set the stage for the next great growth leap in wireless penetration for the coming 15 years."

In his speech, Strigl gave attendees a glimpse into Bell Atlantic Mobile's digital migration strategy, divided into four phases:
• Building a digital network
• Lowering costs for providing digital service
• Lowering prices and increasing value for customers
• Increasing revenues and usage as a result of digital implementation

Strigl also provided insight on the challenges and competitive considerations of launching digital service: timing issues; managing the migration of new and existing customers to digital; vigilant maintenance of the analog network; improving average revenue per unit (ARPU); and defining digital pricing for all categories of customers.

Strigl concluded with a discussion on Bell Atlantic Mobile's DigitalChoice SingleRateSM service. By allowing average consumers to get into the "digital game" for $39.99 a month and receive flat-rate advantages for the first time, Bell Atlantic Mobile is creating a shift in the way these consumers think about wireless: they don't have to go home or back to the office to make a long distance call, and they can ignore their roam lights.

A complete transcript of Dennis Strigl's speech can be accessed via Bell Atlantic Mobile's Web site at www.bam.com.

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 5.7 million customers and 7,000 employees from Maine to Georgia and, through a separate subsidiary, in the Southwest. 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 global operations visit: www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.

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