Verizon Offers Small Businesses in New Hampshire and Vermont First-Ever Unlimited Calling Packages at One Low Monthly Price

MANCHESTER, N.H. and SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. - Today, for the first time, Verizon will offer small- and medium-sized businesses in New Hampshire and Vermont three different Verizon Freedom for Business calling packages that offer unlimited usage for a fixed monthly fee, plus additional savings with a one-year commitment. Business owners can pick the calling package that best meets their local and long-distance calling needs.

The new calling packages are part of Verizon's strategy to fully support the success of the small-business market segment and deliver products and services that meet the needs of these companies.

"Eliminating per-call or per-period usage charges is a fundamental change in the way we do business, and we are excited to bring these savings to our customers," said Diane Collins, Verizon's director of business marketing and sales for New England. "We don't want our small-business customers to have to think about the costs associated with making business calls and getting unpredictable monthly bills. We know that when they are on the phone, they want to be focused on the call, not on how many minutes have gone by or how much the call will cost."

According to Collins, replacing pay-as-you-go pricing with the flat monthly rate is popular with small businesses because it gives them the predictability they need to accurately budget their telecommunications costs and enables them to save money as well.

Verizon Freedom for Business offers unprecedented flexibility at very competitive rates. Depending on the Freedom package, customers can get unlimited, direct-dialed regional and domestic long-distance calls and key features like Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Three-Way Calling, Caller ID, and Voicemail. Additionally, businesses can add Verizon Business DSL for $31.95 per month when bundled with Verizon Freedom for Business, if the one-bill option is selected.

For $27 per month, or $23 per month with a one-year commitment, small-business owners can make unlimited local calls and regional toll calls. The most robust Freedom package, which includes unlimited local calling, regional toll and long-distance calling, is priced at $42 per month, or $36 per month with a one-year commitment. Long-term commitments are not required, and this is not a limited-time offer.

Prices for the calling plans are in addition to the monthly cost of the line itself. Taxes and fees also apply.

Verizon offers a variety of products and services that allow small businesses to customize the solutions they need to better compete in the marketplace, including innovations like e-mail encryption and Web conferencing with Citrix GoToMeeting and communications management tool like the iobi Professional. Frost & Sullivan just cited Verizon for offering one of the most robust portfolios of products and services to small businesses. Verizon offers broadband access, voice services and video, and a "triple-play" bundle of unlimited calling, high speed Verizon Business DSL and 100 percent digital-quality DIRECTV® - starting at less than $100 -- to qualifying small businesses. Verizon Business DSL discounts require a one-year contract.

For additional information, Vermont and New Hampshire customers can visit the Verizon Web site at www.verizon.com/greatplan, or call Verizon at 1-866-693-7633.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), a Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 53 million customers nationwide. Verizon Business operates one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks. Verizon Telecom is deploying the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network to deliver the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services to 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.

####