August 7, 1996

CONTACT: Maggie Aloia Rohr for Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile, 908-306-7757, or Wendy Wheeler, 602-948-8543, mobile, 602-980-7256, or Sherri Shembab, 602-954-6363, both for Cellular One

Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile and Cellular One Sign Agreement to Expand CDPD Coverage Area

Carriers Can Provide Data Service to Customers in Each Other's Markets

BEDMINSTER, N.J., Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile and Southwestco, (dba Cellular One), its wholly-owned subsidiary in the Southwest, today announced an agreement to provide Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) services to each others' customers in all of their markets. The agreement means a much larger CDPD coverage area for the customers of both companies and is another step toward national seamless CDPD service.

Under the agreement, a Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile customer based in New York City (Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile territory), with offices in Phoenix, AZ (Cellular One territory), can use CDPD service in New York and Arizona. The customer will continue to receive a single bill for service, and have a single point of contact for customer service from the home carrier.

Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile currently provides CDPD service in nine states and many major metropolitan areas including New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, DC, and Pittsburgh. Cellular One provides CDPD service in three states, with coverage in Phoenix, Tucson, and northern and central AZ; Albuquerque and Las Cruces, NM; and El Paso, TX.

"This agreement, along with our agreement with GTE Mobilnet, moves us closer to seamless national CDPD service, and represents CDPD's inherent capability to make many networks operate as one," said Mike Franklin, director-wireless data marketing for Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile. "Now our customers will have the convenience of using their AirBridge(R) CDPD service in more than 20 states."

"Our customers want to be able to take their business with them," said Jonathan Smith, general manager-data and wireless services for Cellular One. "This agreement will simplify using wireless data in multiple markets, increasing the scope of the mobile office concept."

Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile and Cellular One each set their own rates for service. To make billing as simple as possible for the customer, users will receive a single bill from their home service provider for all their usage -- regardless of location.

Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile is the largest wireless service provider on the East Coast and the second largest in the United States. The company offers a full range of wireless personal communications services, including voice, data and paging. Based in Bedminster, NJ, Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile has nearly four million customers and 5,800 employees in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and, through Southwestco, a separate subsidiary, in the Southwest. The company was formed in July, 1995 by combining Bell Atlantic Mobile's and NYNEX Mobile's cellular operations.

Cellular One's cellular service and 24-hour customer service is available in Phoenix, Tucson, Casa Grande, Flagstaff, Payson, Prescott, Globe, Miami, Sierra Vista, and Nogales, AZ; Albuquerque and Las Cruces, NM; and El Paso, TX. Southwestco, dba Cellular One, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile.

Cellular One's cellular service includes cellular long distance and enhanced features such as Voice Mail, Local Calling Party Pays, and Broadcast/Outdial, as well as exclusive features such as Direct Connect and Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), in addition to other wireless data solutions.