July 16, 1996

BELL ATLANTIC NYNEX MOBILE EXPANDS EAST COAST FOOTPRINT TO GEORGIA

-- Acquisition Of Horizon Cellular Southeast Property is Completed --

BEDMINSTER, NJ, -- Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile announced today that its purchase from Horizon Cellular, of Georgia Rural Service Area 2 (Georgia 2), the cellular service area that abuts Atlanta and encompasses Barrow and Hall counties, is now finalized. This move extends the company's East Coast footprint and provides added value to its more than 3.5 million customers. The completion of the acquisition of the cellular property comes just in time for the Olympic Games, when cellular phone usage in and around Atlanta is expected to exceed the norm by a million minutes of airtime a day.

"The timing of the closing on this acquisition is fortunate for our customers in the South," said Jim Akerhielm, regional vice president for Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile in the Southeast. "Now, people going to Atlanta for the Olympics, as well as residents of surrounding suburbs who want to be a part of this historic event, will soon benefit from the significant expansion of Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile's in-zone and roaming calling areas."

Georgia 2 is contiguous with the current Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile service regions of Anderson and Greenville, South Carolina, and stretches as far south as suburban Atlanta's Gwinnett and Walton counties. Specifically, in addition to Barrow and Hall counties, the market includes Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Habershaw, Banks, Franklin, Stephens, and Rabun counties. Within this extended calling region lies the 20 mile stretch of U.S. Route 316, which serves as the main commuting corridor between Atlanta and the suburb of Athens, Georgia.

Representing an addition of approximately 286,000 POPs (potential customers), the acquisition is an important component in Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile's ongoing strategy to maintain its leadership position in the wireless industry.

"The purchase of this cellular property provides us with the kind of strategic growth and opportunity we have identified in our company goals for 1996," said Denny Strigl, president and CEO of Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile. "We will continue to consider acquisitions like this one in the future as they make sense for our customers and their calling needs."

Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile announced its plans to purchase the Horizon Cellular property in March 1996.