Bell Atlantic Mobile Expands Digital Coverage To Nine Counties In Northwest South Carolina

GREENVILLE, SC — Leading wireless service provider Bell Atlantic Mobile has expanded its advanced digital cellular service to six new counties in northwest South Carolina, including Abbeville, McCormick, Greenwood, Edgefield, Saluda, and Newberry. The company also has enhanced network coverage in Anderson, Laurens, and Lexington Counties. Aimed at meeting customer demand, this large expansion abuts the Georgia state line and connects the Upstate, through the nine northwest counties, to the Columbia market in the Midlands.

Bell Atlantic Mobile's DigitalChoice® wireless service delivers to customers increased service quality, greater voice clarity, long battery life, and enhanced privacy. Through a multi-million dollar investment to upgrade analog cell sites to digital, the company has brought CDMA, the most advanced digital technology, to cities such as Greenwood, Abbeville, and Newberry. They join an extensive digital network that also includes all of southwest North Carolina, Asheville, Charlotte, Hickory, Spartanburg, Greenville, Columbia, plus all major interstates connecting those areas.

"Bell Atlantic Mobile has positioned itself as the wireless carrier with the largest digital coverage in that area with this significant digital expansion," said Jerry Fountain, Bell Atlantic Mobile's vice president - Southeast region. "The combination of our high- quality digital network and new price plans that include more airtime minutes each month means customers can enjoy superior value over the offerings of other local wireless providers."

In addition to coast-to-coast digital-analog (dual-mode) capability, customers who subscribe to DigitalChoice also benefit from flexible, economical calling plans and a feature-rich package that includes Caller ID; Voice Mail with Automatic Callback and Message Notification; Three-Way Calling, Call Waiting and Call Forwarding; and, the first incoming minute free on local calls.

Customers also can take advantage of Bell Atlantic Mobile's popular SingleRate^SM all-inclusive pricing plans with no roaming and no long distance charges from the company's East Coast network. SingleRate offers the benefits of high quality digital service at an affordable and predictable price.

Other DigitalChoice options include:

• Share-A-Minute, which, for $12.99 for each additional line, allows customers to share home airtime minutes with up to four additional digital phones;
• a $10 per month mobile-to-mobile option, allowing customers to make and receive unlimited calls to other Bell Atlantic Mobile customers in the Carolinas;
• a $2 per month digital phone rental;
• a $10 per month Unlimited Nights and Weekends Home Airtime Plan;
• three versions of text messaging/e-mail to your handset; and,
• TalkDial®, Bell Atlantic Mobile's exclusive voice- activated dialing service, for a $2.95 monthly fee.

Editor's Note: Bell Atlantic Mobile owns and operates the largest wireless network in the East, covering 120,000 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 6.4 million customers and 8,000 employees from Maine to Georgia and, through a separate subsidiary, in the Southwest. Through its "Wireless at Work..." community service program, the company uses its technology to help individuals and communities improve security and emergency communications. Bell Atlantic Mobile's parent, Bell Atlantic Corporation (NYSE:BEL) 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 Mobile visit: www.bam.com; on global operations visit: www.bellatlantic.com/worldwide.

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