Verizon Enhanced Communities: New Name for Company's Multi-Dwelling Services Business Unit

NEW YORK - Following Verizon's announcement in March that it is aggressively pursuing contracts to deliver FiOS Internet and TV services to multi-dwelling properties, the business unit doing the work is changing its name. Verizon Avenue now is officially doing business as Verizon Enhanced Communities.

"We're serving whole communities of customers now, in both single-family developments and in multi-family units of all kinds," said Eric D. Cevis, vice president in charge of the business unit. "While we may be the 'avenue' to the best in voice, data and video services, we actually serve whole communities of people; hence, the new name."

Verizon Enhanced Communities signs access, service and marketing agreements with developers of single-home complexes, new apartment and condo and co-op high-rises, military installations, and student housing. The business unit also retrofits multifamily properties with the company's most advanced services, including FiOS TV.

"Verizon's commitment to taking our fiber-optic network right to each dwelling unit is our way of future-proofing our delivery system and our customers' service options against technological and service changes," Cevis said. "Our fiber-optic technology has virtually unlimited bandwidth, meaning whichever services our customers want - from voice to television to broadband connections - we have a wide-open pathway to provide any and all of these services over our network."

In the last 15 months, Verizon Enhanced Communities has added more than 400 projects to its program, representing nearly 200,000 homes, apartments, condos and co-ops across the country.

Verizon Avenue was formed in 2001 when Verizon acquired OnePoint Communications Corp., which had developed an innovative solution for bringing broadband and voice communications to multifamily buildings. It consisted of installing a high-speed network connection from the network to a facility in the basement from which individual voice and data circuits would be run within the building.

Using that model, sales efforts in 16 states where Verizon is building out its all-fiber network continue to grow. Verizon is the only communications company deploying on a major scale hair-thin glass fiber-optic technology all the way to customers.

Verizon Enhanced Communities recently launched a nationwide sales campaign to develop new agreements with property owners for access and service delivery. More than 57,000 units were contracted for in just six months last year.

"Verizon Enhanced Communities is committed to taking Verizon's overall broadband strategy right into the homes and apartments of a broad customer base, and we'll do that through agreements with property owners and managers who see the value in a differentiated communications connection," Cevis said.

Verizon's FiOS Internet Service offers data speeds of up to 30 megabits per second, and its FiOS TV service offers a series of rich service bundles, which may include up to 24 high-definition TV channels that exceed the value offered by many cable TV providers both in terms of variety and price.

For more information about the products and services available through Verizon Enhanced Communities, or to view recent testimonials from clients, visit
www.verizon.com/connected.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), a Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other communication innovations to wireline and wireless customers. Verizon operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 53 million customers nationwide; one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks; and one of the nation's premier wireline networks, serving mass market and wholesale customers. Based in New York, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 250,000 and generates annual consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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