Gte, Contel Mega Merger Will Affect Local Residents

GTE, Contel mega-merger

will affect local residents

EVERETT

The $6.6 billion GTE Corp. and Contel Corp. merger that closed last week will have an impact on Snohomish County.

GTE services much of Snohomish County. And both Skagit and Whatcom counties include both Contel and GTE telephone-service customers. The merger, however, will not immediately affect the local GTE or Contel customers, says Tom Borgford, GTE Northwest spokesman.

The merged companies will integrate local customers slowly and minor billing changes will occur over time, Borgford says. The GTE Northwest office here, which serves the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, California and Hawaii, will not be affected, Borgford says.

``For the past eight months, a team of GTE and Contel employees have worked extremely hard to complete plans for this merger,'' says Kent Foster, president of GTE Telephone Operations. ``Now that the merger process is completed, we can begin the task of formally integrating and blending the management and operational strengths of the two companies.''

Foster says some integration plans will be implemented in the near future and others will occur over the next two years. This is the largest merger in telecommunications history.

GTE Telephone Operations is the largest of GTE's three business groups and, with the addition of the Contel properties, now provides service to more than 18 million access lines in 40 states and two foreign countries. In addition, GTE Telephone Operations markets telecommunication products and services internationally, and supplies computer software and data processing nationwide. GTE Telephone Operations has 115,000 employees and had $15.1 billion in revenue last year.