Verizon Online Introduces High-Speed Internet Access In Ravenswood, Spencer, W.Va.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Verizon Online is raising the speed limit in Ravenswood and Spencer with the introduction of super-fast digital subscriber line (DSL) service for consumers and businesses.

Deploying DSL in these communities is part of Verizon's accelerated DSL roll-out schedule to extend the service to millions of additional homes. Broadband policy changes agreed to by the Federal Communications Commission in February improved the business environment for Verizon and other DSL service providers, making more aggressive broadband deployment possible.

"DSL provides customers with the speed they need to take full advantage of the Internet, for their small business needs, telecommuting, banking, shopping online and entertainment like games-on-demand," said Gale Given, president of Verizon West Virginia. "Now our customers in Ravenswood and Spencer can enjoy the benefits of turbo-charged Internet access."

Verizon Online Offers Choice of DSL Pricing Plans

Verizon Online offers three pricing plans for its most popular residential DSL service that offers maximum speeds of 768Kbps (kilobits per second) downstream and 128Kbps upstream. Current promotions for new customers who order DSL service by April 30 are as follows --

• With a one-year commitment DSL service is $39.95 a month. The first month is free when customers order DSL online at http://www.verizon.net/.

• The month-to-month plan is $29.95 for the first six months, and then the monthly price is $49.95. The first month is free when customers order DSL online at www.verizon.net.

Local Verizon telephone customers who want to order basic DSL service or faster DSL service can get more information online at www.verizon.net or by calling Verizon at 1-800-567-6789.

Share the Connection

When customers sign up for DSL, they can also buy Linksys' wired and wireless routers for $99.95 and $149.95 respectively from Verizon Online. Both products allow consumers and businesses to create a local area network (LAN) by connecting multiple home computers to one DSL connection. Creating a network also provides a built-in firewall for added security. There's no monthly charge for sharing the DSL connection.

All Verizon Online DSL packages for consumers include a free do-it-yourself installation kit with a DSL modem, 10 MB (megabytes) of Web storage, 10 MB of e-mail storage and four e-mail boxes. Customers can be billed on their monthly telephone bills or a credit card. All packages come with a 30-day, money-back guarantee.

Verizon Online DSL for Business Customers

Verizon Online offers six DSL packages to meet the broadband needs of businesses. The packages range from speeds of 768Kbps downstream and 128Kbps upstream to 7.1Mbps (megabits per second) downstream and 768Kbps upstream. Prices range from $59.95 to $204.95 a month.

DSL business packages include the high-speed connection, six domain name e-mail boxes (yourname@yourcompany.com), domain name registration or transfer and domain name service (DNS). Verizon Online offers wireless and wired routers that allow small and medium-size businesses to connect multiple computers to a single DSL line.

Verizon Online also offers businesses a robust portfolio of business e-mail and Web hosting services. Customers can save time by using the company's new point-and-click Web site tools to edit their own sites.

Technical Definitions

DSL service generally is available to homes and offices located within approximately three miles of Verizon's local switching center or "central office." Some technical limitations may interfere with the ability of individual telephone lines to get DSL, even when the lines are within three miles of a DSL-equipped central office.

Downstream and upstream speeds describing Verizon Online's DSL services are maximum connection speeds between the customer's computer and Verizon's DSL equipment. Actual connection speeds will vary from the maximum speeds and often will be lower. Throughput or download speeds will be lower than connection speeds and vary based on telephone line condition and distance from Verizon's central office, home or office wiring and the server or router speed of sites visited on the Internet, among other factors.

Verizon Online is a full-service Internet service provider, offering a complete selection of dial-up, DSL and dedicated Internet access services for residential consumers and businesses. Verizon Online DSL service is available in 23 states and the District of Columbia.

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 135.8 million access line equivalents and 32.5 million Verizon Wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and 229,500 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 30 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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