March 28, 1996

NYNEX CONTACT: Media Relations, (212) 395-0500

Cellular Carriers Join Forces With City Of Philadelphia In Fight Against Potholes

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Some of them resemble giant craters while others look like cavities, but whatever their form, potholes are every driver's nightmare.

In an effort to repair more than 100,000 potholes expected in the city following the area's worst winter on record including the "Blizzard of '96," the City of Philadelphia and two cellular carriers -- Comcast Metrophone, a division of Comcast Cellular Communications, Inc., and Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile -- have teamed up to create a new pothole elimination program called "Star F-I-X."

Spearheaded by City Councilman-at-Large Frank Rizzo, Jr., Star F-I-X enables concerned citizens to report potholes, as well as broken traffic lights -- all from the convenience of their cars.

The free cellular call will automatically be routed to the Philadelphia Streets Department's Customer Affairs Unit where repair crews will be dispatched and the problem quickly rectified. All customers have to do is press the "Star" key, then the letters F-I-X to activate the call and they will automatically reach the Streets Department.

According to Councilman Rizzo, this pilot program provides a tremendous opportunity for the public to be actively involved in solving the ever-frustrating pothole problem plaguing the City of Philadelphia.

"I couldn't be more pleased with the level of positive response from the City, and the cellular carriers, Comcast Metrophone and Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile," Rizzo said. "This partnership will allow the hundreds of thousands of cellular users all across Philadelphia to take an active role in keeping the streets safer for everyone."

Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell shares Rizzo's enthusiasm for the program.

"Drivers are the people who complain the loudest about potholes, because of course, they are most affected by them," said Mayor Rendell.

"Comcast Cellular Communications, Inc. and Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile with the implementation of the Star F-I-X program, allow the Philadelphia Streets Department to correct the pothole problem quickly and efficiently," he added.

Comcast Metrophone, a division of Comcast Cellular Communications, Inc., and Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile will include Star F-I-X information in their customer communications materials, to go along with existing safety programs such as Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile's "Star J-A-M" and "Auto Help Line," and Comcast Metrophone's "Mobile Watch," and "Good Samaritan," among others.

"We see this endeavor as a natural extension of our efforts to help our customers use their cellular phones to report traffic accidents and other emergencies they observe from the road," said Donald A. Harris, president of Comcast Cellular. "The Councilman came to us and asked if this was an idea that made sense -- we agreed it did and were able to move quickly, with our new state-of-the-art network to get this service up and running."

"Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile is proud to be partnering with the City of Philadelphia to make our streets safer for city residents and commuters," said Robert Stott, regional vice president, Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile. "We're always looking for ways to broaden the applications of wireless communications. As such, Star F-I-X is a valuable complement to the many driver safety programs that also rely on Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile technology."

Philadelphia Streets Commissioner Lawrence Moy said that the customer service representatives are trained to educate callers regarding what other areas besides potholes they can report, such as street and traffic light malfunctions.

"With the `Five-Day Pothole Response' program in effect, Star F-I-X users can help us identify the many potholes out there, and report them before they become hazardous conditions," Moy said.

Rizzo added that the implementation of Star F-I-X will help tremendously to rid the city of potholes and other related problems before they result in serious roadside emergencies. It will also allow residents to be directly involved, along with the city, in helping to keep the streets safe for vehicular traffic and pedestrians.

Comcast Cellular Communications, Inc. is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq-NNM: CMCSA, CMCSK) with more than 350 cell sites, serving a population of 8.2 million in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. Comcast Cellular, headquartered in Wayne, Pa., is ranked as the nation's fourth largest non-wireline carrier, with more than 1,000 employees. It is also known for its innovative approach to customer satisfaction, creating new products and services such as an enhanced directory assistance program called "Comcast Connect," 24-hour customer service, and the new "Metro 2000" product, which allows customers to buy cellular phones without the hassle of a typical cellular purchase.

Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile, headquartered in Bedminster, N.J., is the largest wireless service provider on the East Coast and the second largest provider in the United States. The company offers a full range of wireless voice, data, and paging communications solutions to its three million customers in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and through a separate subsidiary, in the Southwest. The company was formed in July 1995 through the combination of Bell Atlantic Mobile's and NYNEX Mobile's cellular operations. The company has more than 5,000 employees.

NYNEX is a global communications and media company that provides a full range of services in the northeastern United States and high-growth markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Thailand, Gibraltar, Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The Corporation is a leader in the telecommunications, wireless communications, cable television, directory publishing and entertainment and information services.

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