BELL ATLANTIC/GTE AND VODAFONE AIRTOUCH COMPLETE COMBINATION OF U.S. WIRELESS BUSINESSES

Yerizon Selected As New Name For Combination of Bell Atlantic and GTE

NEW YORK -- Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE:BEL) and Vodafone AirTouch Plc (NYSE and LSE: VOD) last week (April 4, 2000) announced that they have combined their U.S. cellular, paging and PCS businesses and formed a new nationwide competitor that will offer its wireless products and services coast-to-coast under a new brand name, Verizon Wireless. All necessary approvals have been received. The companies first announced plans to combine their U. S. wireless businesses six months ago on September 21, 1999.

The new wireless company will be further strengthened following the completion of the Bell Atlantic - GTE Corp. (NYSE: GTE) merger, which is targeted for later in the second quarter. Including additions from GTE's domestic wireless business, the new company will rank as the nation's largest wireless company by far, serving more than 23 million wireless and nearly 4 million paging customers. Its nationwide footprint will cover over 90 percent of the U.S. population and 96 of the top 100 U. S. wireless markets, with 232 million net POPS.

The word Verizon (pronounced vurr-EYE-zon) was selected from more than 8,500 names. The new name comes from the Latin word "veritas," which means truth, and also connotes certainty and reliability; and "horizon," which signifies the possibilities ahead. The new logo is a bold red, black and white rendition of the name with strong graphic accents highlighting the V and the Z.

The Bell Atlantic-Vodafone AirTouch wireless agreement and the Bell Atlantic-GTE, merger are independent transactions. The completion of one is not contingent upon completion of the other.

Prior to the close of this transaction, Bell Atlantic completed an exchange of wireless interests with ALLTEL Corp. (NYSE: AT), including certain dispositions of properties required by the Department of Justice in order to complete the transaction with Vodafone AirTouch.