Verizon Online Opens Additional Internet Express Lane in Antigo, Wis. Area

ANTIGO, Wis. - More consumers and businesses in the northeast portion of Antigo can enjoy the benefits of high-speed Internet access now that Verizon Online has expanded its availability in the community.

Verizon Online digital subscriber line (DSL) service is now available to nearly 500 additional lines in the Prosser Avenue area as a result of the company's most recent upgrade of its local telecommunications network. The service was introduced in Antigo in 2002 and has been steadily expanding to new neighborhoods ever since.

Recently, Verizon Online boosted its DSL offer by tripling the upstream speed, or outgoing speed, to 384Kbps (kilobits per second), lowered the cost of its entry-level DSL service for businesses, and added a consumer baseball package with more than 250 streaming games a month through Verizon's alliance with MSN Premium. Also, Verizon will equip 7 million more lines with DSL capability in 2004.

"If you've wanted DSL service from us in the past, but it wasn't in your neighborhood, now's the time to check with us on current availability," said Paul Fuglie, Verizon vice president-regulatory and governmental affairs in Wisconsin.

Verizon Online DSL with MSN Premium Consumer Offer

Verizon Online offers DSL connection speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps (megabits per second) downstream and 384Kbps (kilobits per second) upstream for consumers. The first month of DSL is free when ordered online. Consumers have a choice of payment plans for their DSL service:

• 34.95 a month for stand-alone DSL service

• $29.95 a month as part of a qualifying local and long-distance Verizon package

Verizon Online DSL with MSN Premium service includes:

• A free do-it-yourself installation kit with a DSL modem

• Round-the-clock technical support

• MSN Premium software (a $99 annual value)

• 9 e-mail accounts

• 10 MB (megabytes) of Web space

MSN Premium packs additional punch with security protection to help stop spam and vanquish viruses. It also includes improved photo-editing and organizing tools and MSN Video. Verizon Online DSL customers can watch streaming video from MSN Premium content partners MLB.com (Major League Baseball), NBC, Showtime, Discovery Communications and NHL.com (National Hockey League). More information about MSN Premium is available at www.verizon.net/betterway.

Customers can be billed for DSL on their monthly Verizon telephone bill or a credit card. The service comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Local Verizon telephone customers who want to order DSL service or get more information can go online at www.verizon.net or call Verizon at 1-800-PICK-DSL.

In June, Verizon reduced the cost of its 1.5Mbps/384Kbps dynamic IP (Internet protocol) DSL for businesses to $59.95 from $89.95 and its static IP DSL to $79.95 from $119.95. Businesses can choose from a variety of DSL speeds that are tailored to meet the needs of business. Plans and pricing information are available at http://biz.verizon.net/pands/dsl/.

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 may vary from the maximum speeds and may be lower than the advertised line rate. Throughput (download and upload) speeds will be lower than connection speeds and vary based on the telephone line's 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. Other business-grade services include business e-mail, Web-site services and Internet security services. Verizon Online DSL service is available in 23 states and the District of Columbia.

A Dow 30 company, Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services, with approximately $68 billion in annual revenues. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world, as measured by directory titles and circulation. Verizon's international presence includes wireline and wireless communications operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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