Verizon, Frontier Offer Expanded Local Calling In Braxton, Calhoun and Gilmer Counties

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --Verizon and Frontier, a Citizens Communications Co., eliminated, effective March 1, some long-distance calling among four exchanges in Braxton, Calhoun and Gilmer counties.

"This could not have happened without the steadfast efforts of Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito," said Gale Given, president of Verizon West Virginia. "She actively lobbied the FCC on Verizon's behalf to bring this all about."

Customers in Verizon's Gassaway exchange (Braxton County) and Frontier customers in the Arnoldsburg exchange (Calhoun County) are able to make local calls to each other for the first time.

In addition, Verizon customers in the Glenville exchange (Gilmer County) and Frontier customers in Arnoldsburg are able to make local calls to each other. Local calling also was launched between Glenville and Frontier's Grantsville exchange (Calhoun County).

Verizon and Frontier business and residential customers who subscribe to Frequent / Premium Caller Service at $29 a month are now able to make unlimited local calls to customers in their expanded calling area.

Those who do not subscribe to Frequent / Premium Caller Service pay a per-minute rate when calling the expanded area. The daytime rate for calls between Gassaway and Arnoldsburg and between Glenville and Arnoldsburg is 25.3 cents for five minutes. The daytime rate for calls between Glenville and Grantsville is 22 cents for five minutes.

There's a 70 percent discount on the per-minute charge for calls placed between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. The same discount is applied to calls placed anytime on Saturday or Sunday.

Verizon residential customers who wish to convert to Frequent Caller Service should call 954-6200. Frontier residential customers who wish to convert to Premium Calling service should call 1-800-921-8101.

The affected Verizon and Frontier exchanges are in two distinct regional calling areas known as "LATAs," or local access transport areas. A federal court ruling that broke up the Bell System in 1984 prohibits Verizon from offering service between regional calling areas. On Dec. 19, the Federal Communications Commission issued a waiver allowing Verizon to provide local phone service among the four exchanges.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with 132.1 million access line equivalents and 29.4 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. A Fortune 10 company with more than $67 billion in annual revenues and approximately 247,000 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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