Metromedia Fiber Network Signs First 'Dark Fiber' Agreement With Regional Bell Operating Company.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 12, 1999--

Bell Atlantic to Harness Additional Capacity to Power Its

Next-Generation Long Distance Network

Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc. (NASDAQ:MFNX) today announced the signing of its first `dark fiber' lease agreement with a regional Bell operating company. According to terms of the agreement, Bell Atlantic Global Networks will lease dark fiber strands from Metromedia Fiber Network to build out its new long distance network between New York City and White Plains.

The term 'dark fiber' refers to fiber optic cable without any of the electronic or optronic equipment necessary for transmission. Using Metromedia Fiber Network's infrastructure, customers are able to rapidly deploy state-of-the-art optical networks. Communications carriers and Internet Service Providers gain "last mile" connectivity to the most highly populated metropolitan areas. Corporate and government customers benefit from private building-to-building networks featuring the fastest transmission speeds available and the highest levels of reliability and security.

"Our agreement with Bell Atlantic is further evidence of the benefits provided by Metromedia Fiber Network's dark fiber solution to incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) wanting to expand services even within their traditional franchised territories," said Howard Finkelstein, president of Metromedia Fiber Network. "By adding the nation's largest local phone company to our growing list of communications carrier customers, Metromedia Fiber Network continues to demonstrate the value and breadth of our infrastructure in enabling all types of telecommunications carriers to obtain quick and cost effective access to major Tier One metropolitan areas."

Bell Atlantic is leasing capacity from Metromedia Fiber Network to meet the future long distance demands of its business customers in New York City and area suburbs.

Stu Verge, president of Bell Atlantic Global Networks said, "we have embarked on an aggressive build out of a new long distance network and our agreement with Metromedia Fiber Network enables us to meet important objectives in our business plan. Leasing the fiber, rather than installing new lines ourselves, gives us the capability to deploy a high-speed, high-capacity data and voice communications network quickly and cost effectively."

Global Networks, a unit of Bell Atlantic's Data Solutions Group, was created to build and manage Bell Atlantic's next-generation, long distance network.

"We plan to install advanced electronics on the leased lines to deliver voice and data over a single network, which will mean a significant cost savings to our customers," said Verge. He added that Bell Atlantic plans to deploy leading-edge switching technologies such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) to handle the especially high volume of data traffic generated by businesses in the New York metro region. The company also will offer Internet Protocol (IP) routing capability to enable businesses to communicate online.

Bell Atlantic has indicated that it plans to "light" the dark fiber when it receives permission to provide long distance service in New York, which it expects in the second quarter of this year.

"Metromedia Fiber Network appreciated our need to have this capacity available in anticipation of our long distance launch," said Verge. "Their responsiveness and flexibility in reaching this deal will enable us to meet the heavy demands of customers in the metro region as soon as we're allowed to enter the long distance market."

About Bell Atlantic Data Solutions Group

Bell Atlantic Data Solutions Group (DSG) is dedicated to providing globally integrated network solutions that seamlessly connect businesses with their customers, partners and employees. DSG provides all aspects of data networking from the management and operation of customer networks and network integration, to network transport and advanced IP services such as intranets and extranets, virtual private networks, web hosting and multimedia services. DSG will offer complete, end-to-end solutions through third party alliances and partnerships it will form nationally and globally.

About Bell Atlantic

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry. With 42 million telephone access lines and eight million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.

About Metromedia Fiber Network

Metromedia Fiber Network is building fiber optic infrastructure in the local loop in strategic Tier One markets, enabling technologically sophisticated organizations to implement the latest data, video, internet and multimedia applications. By offering virtually unlimited, unmetered bandwidth at a fixed cost, Metromedia Fiber Network is eliminating the bandwidth barrier and redefining the way broadband capacity is sold.

Through International Optical Network (ION), Metromedia Fiber Network's joint venture with Racal Telecom of the United Kingdom, the company provides customers with international bandwidth capacity. For more information about Metromedia Fiber Network, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.mmfn.com/.

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause or contribute to such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, and various other factors beyond the Company's control. This also includes such factors as described from time to time in the SEC reports filed by Metromedia Fiber Network, including the most recently filed Form 10-Q.