Verizon Maintains Service Quality Leadership in Florida

TAMPA, Fla. - Verizon continues to provide outstanding service to its Florida customers, according to measurements established by the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC).

The company attributed the continued strong results to its employees' commitment to the "Verizon Promise" that puts service at the core of its relationship with customers, combined with a $339 million capital investment to upgrade its network in Florida.

"Excellent service is at the heart of our employees' efforts in Florida, every day of the year," said John Ferrell, region president, operations, Florida. "Verizon continues to exceed the most rigorous service measurements in the country, fueled by a dedication and an investment philosophy that distinguishes our company from most others, regardless of the industry."

Verizon Florida's results, January through September, exceeded the commission's standards for service in the following key areas:

• Orders installed in three days --97.3 percent (versus standard of 90 percent)

• Lines out of service repaired in 24 hours --97.1 percent (versus standard of 95 percent)

Verizon's $339 million investment in network improvements this year modernized its local telecommunications network and provided additional broadband capability in Florida. This investment added leading-edge communications technology that helped the company sustain its excellent service record. (See related release, "Verizon Invests $339 million to Upgrade and Maintain Florida Network During 2001.")

Our employee's desire to excel is matched by Verizon's huge investment in the best technology available," said Ferrell. "Together, this produces the best service experience for Verizon's two million customers in west central Florida."

In key areas of service measurement, Verizon's average score (through September) led or shared the lead with Florida's other major communication's companies, Sprint and Bell South. And, as an indicator of the strength of Verizon's network, the company also had the lowest number of trouble reports per 100 lines.

For example, the Florida commission requires that 90 percent of orders for new service be installed within three days. Again Verizon led the way with the best results: Verizon, 97.3 percent; Sprint, 94.2 percent, and Bell South, 92.1 percent.

Another FPSC standard requires that 95 percent of lines out of service be repaired in 24 hours. The three companies scored as follows: Verizon, 97.1 percent; Sprint, 97.3 percent, and Bell South, 86.3 percent.

Finally, the commission tracked the numbers of troubles reported per 100 lines. Verizon had the lowest number, 1.84 troubles per 100 lines, followed by Sprint with 1.94 troubles and Bell South with 2.86 troubles.

"These results prove what we have long believed -- that Verizon provides the best service in Florida and that the quality of our network is second to none," said Ferrell. He noted that Verizon's own Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) further bolsters these results by showing great improvements in Florida in key measurement areas.

Verizon's CSI reflects the results of monthly surveys of randomly selected customers who have had recent contact with the company. Through October, these customer indicators showed improvement over 2000 results in maintenance and provisioning for general (small) businesses and in provisioning for consumers.

Verizon's Florida network serves more than 2.4 million customer lines in a six-county area. The network covers 5,879 square miles and features digital switching technology and 185,704 fiber cable miles. It handles more than 73 million calls on a normal business day. Verizon averages nearly one million customer contacts per month, including orders for new service, repair requests and billing inquiries.

Verizon Communications

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 128.5 million access line equivalents and 28.7 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. A Fortune 10 company with 256,000 employees and approximately $65 billion in annual revenues, 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.