Ameritech Residential Customers Have A Billing Choice

Confused customers speak out about separate long-distance bills

Detroit, Michigan, February 21, 1996

For further information, contact:

Sara Snyder, Ameritech, 313/223-7192

Ameritech is letting its customers know they can continue to receive one bill for their local and long-distance service, despite some long distance companies' move to begin billing customers separately. Ameritech has received hundreds of complaint calls weekly from Michigan customers since the long-distance companies' announcements to separate customer bills.

"Our customers are clearly upset and confused about this issue," said Jim Wilkes, president of Ameritech Michigan. "They're calling us daily to ask us if they can continue to receive one bill. We want our customers to know it was not Ameritech's choice to bill separately, but rather the long-distance companies' decision," Wilkes said.

In customers' current phone bills, Ameritech explains they have a billing choice and what action is needed to continue receiving one combined bill. In some cases, long-distance companies already have begun billing customers separately for long-distance service.

Customers who wish to keep Ameritech service for all of their telephone billing should contact their long-distance company and request their preference to stay with Ameritech.

Customers who already have received a separate phone bill from their long-distance company should follow the same procedure. If customers have any questions about their separate bills, they can contact Ameritech sales and service representatives at 313-221-4455.

"There are many consumer benefits to having one phone bill," Wilkes said. "We recognize that customers lead busy lives and want the convenience of having to review only one bill, write one check and use one stamp. The bottom line is that we want to make our customers' lives simpler and save them time."

In addition, Ameritech is offering an integrated bill for local and long-distance cellular service and, in the near future, one bill for long-distance landline service when it becomes available.

Ameritech customers also can request that their monthly phone bill be automatically deducted from their bank accounts. Customers interested in finding out more about this free service can contact Ameritech at 313-221-4455.

Ameritech, one of the world's largest communications companies, helps more than 13 million customers keep in touch. The company provides a wide array of local phone, data and video services in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Ameritech is creating dozens of new information, entertainment and interactive services for homes, businesses and governments around the world.

One of the world's leading cellular companies, Ameritech serves more than 1.9 million cellular and 750,000 paging customers, and holds cellular interests in China, Norway and Poland. Ameritech owns interests in telephone companies in New Zealand and Hungary and in business directories in Germany and other countries. Nearly 1 million investors hold Ameritech (NYSE: AIT) shares.