[NEF LOGO]

                              NEW ENGLAND FINANCIAL/TM/
                               A MetLife Affiliate


September, 2002

TO OWNERS OF NEW ENGLAND VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND I CONTRACTS:

A Special Meeting of Contractholders of New England Variable Annuity Fund I
("the Fund") will be held on October 25, 2002. You are now being asked how
shares of the Fund deemed attributable to your Contract should be voted at the
Contractholders Meeting. Under some plans, plan participants (i.e. annuitants)
may have the right to instruct Contractholders as to how all or a portion of
the votes attributable to a Contract are to be cast, and Contractholders are
required to cast such votes as instructed.

IN ORDER FOR THE VOTES UNDER YOUR CONTRACTS TO BE VOTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY YOU AND YOUR ANNUITANTS, YOU MUST RETURN A COMPLETED,
EXECUTED PROXY/INSTRUCTION FORM.

Enclosed you will find a copy of the Notice of Meeting and Proxy Statement
relating to the Contractholders Meeting, as well as voting instruction forms
with the name of the annuitant who may be entitled to instruct the
Contractholder.

Please forward promptly (1) one Notice of Meeting and Proxy Statement and (2)
one Proxy/Instruction Form to each annuitant entitled to give voting
instruction. One Proxy/Instruction Form is enclosed for each annuitant who has
a right to instruct the Contractholder as to how votes are to be cast.

The Proxy/Instruction Form is to be used by each annuitant to convey
instructions to you as Contractholder. FORMS COMPLETED BY YOUR ANNUITANTS
SHOULD NOT BE RETURNED. AFTER YOU HAVE RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS FROM AN ANNUITANT,
YOU SHOULD TRANSFER THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE ANNUITANT LISTING PROVIDED.
RETURN ONLY THE SINGLE PROXY/INSTRUCTION FORM IN YOUR NAME, SIGNED BY YOU,
ALONG WITH THE APPROPRIATELY CHECKED ANNUITANT LIST.

If no annuitants transmit voting instructions, or if the annuitants do not have
the right to instruct, cast all votes at your sole discretion by completing and
signing the Proxy/Instruction Form.

In order to cast votes under the Contracts you must return a PROXY/INSTRUCTION
FORM signed by you, the Contractholder.

If you have any questions concerning these procedures, please call collect,
Melissa Colombo, Product Manager, New England Life Insurance Company at (617)
578-3499.

                              501 BOYLSTON STREET
                             BOSTON, MA 02116-3700
                                 T 617-578-2000

                 New England Life Insurance Company, Boston, MA
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