Verizon Goes On The Offensive To Help Millions Enjoy Super Bowl XXXV

TAMPA, Fla. -- As millions worldwide watch the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants play in Super Bowl XXXV on Jan. 28, a third team of professionals will be tackling their own challenge with teamwork precision. Come Super Bowl Sunday, about 40 employees from Verizon Communications will be at Raymond James Stadium here, or on call, managing the numerous communications requirements of the National Football League (NFL) and 3,300 members of the news media and hospitality industry.

"There is a huge difference between this year's game and Tampa's first Super Bowl in 1984 and even in 1991, when almost all of our extra capacity was for voice," said Jim Wolfe, Super Bowl project manager for Verizon. "Today, we are transporting a staggering amount of data in addition to voice and video transmission. Our employees have responded superbly, particularly our Enterprise Sales Contact Center and our technical field crew who have completed work orders in a split fraction of the time it normally takes."

As the game nears, new or modified orders will be added daily, up until halftime. CBS, the television network broadcasting the Super Bowl, is one of many key customers that will benefit from Verizon's crack team of professionals assigned Super Bowl duty.

"Verizon has done an exceptional job installing and rearranging some very critical, high-end data circuitry for the coverage of the game," added Kevin Wells, manager, CODA Communications, telecommunications agent for the NFL. "They have been terrific."

Verizon responded to the growing communication needs of the NFL, television and radio networks, local television stations and other entertainment outlets at Raymond James stadium plus area hotels. To accommodate the demands, a team of 250 employees worked over the past six months to gear up for the event.

For Super Bowl XXXV, Verizon installed more than 1,600 voice lines, 50 high-speed Integrated services digital network (ISDN) lines and 36 video feeds, capable of transporting huge amounts of digital data and video images to and from Raymond James Stadium and other Tampa Bay area venues.

In addition to fulfilling the NFL's needs at Raymond James Stadium, Verizon has added voice and data capacity at several area facilities including theTampa Marriott Waterside, Wyndham Westshore and the Tampa Convention Center. Customers at these locations include NBC, ESPN, MTV, Sports Illustrated, the Associated Press and over 50 radio stations working from "Radio Row" in downtown Tampa.

Meanwhile, Verizon's 1.8 million local telephone customers in the Tampa Bay area are continuing to receive excellent service. Service measurements in January for installations in three days or less and out of service repaired in 24 hours continued to exceed Florida Public Service Commission standards, with no missed exchanges, in spite of the increased attention required by the Super Bowl.

"Having met the rigorous demands of the Super Bowl while keeping our daily service promises to the rest of our customers required a Super Bowl winning performance of our own," said John Ferrell, president-Florida operations, Verizon. "We are proud to support this major event in the Tampa Bay area, and our effort speaks to both the quality of our employees and to the excellence of our network, further reinforcing that that service is at the core of Verizon's character."

Verizon Communications Super Bowl XXXV Fact Sheet

To help the world join in Super Bowl XXXV, a team of 250 Verizon technicians and managers have installed or are installing the following to assist the NFL, news agencies and entertainment channels in Tampa:

• Over 1,600 voice lines.
• 36 video feed circuits.
• Over 50 ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) lines.
• Temporary pay phones at the NFL Experience at Raymond James Stadium.

Major facilities receiving enhanced support from Verizon:

• Raymond James Stadium
• The Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel (NFL Headquarters)
• The Wyndham Westshore (NFC team hotel)
• The Hyatt Westshore (AFC team hotel)
• The Tampa Convention Center (media headquarters)
• Harbour Island (FOX Sports News, ESPN).

A number of additional locations, ranging from Ybor City in Tampa to the Westin Innisbrook in Tarpon Springs, are also receiving support from Verizon.