Verizon Proposes Extended Area Calling Plan for Customers in 53 Additional Illinois Exchanges

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Verizon Communications will ask the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) today for approval to offer a money-saving calling plan with expanded local calling areas to customers in 53 additional exchanges across the state.

Under the extended area calling plan, Verizon North customers would call additional nearby communities without paying long-distance charges. They could call these communities by dialing just seven digits, instead of 1 + 10 digits as they do now. (Editor's Note: New local calling areas for customers in these exchanges are included at the end of this release.)

"We are continuing to enhance the value of our service," said James R. Hargrave, Verizon assistant vice president-public policy & external affairs for Illinois. "Our new calling plan provides more rate options for our customers and delivers lower-priced calling alternatives."

The new plan would allow customers to call all communities within the same market service area (MSA) and a 15-mile radius of their own exchange without paying local toll charges. With the proposed calling plan, all such calls would be considered "local." If approved by the ICC, the plan will take effect April 17.

With the plan, customers would need to dial 7 digits to reach other numbers within their area code and MSA or 10 digits (area code + telephone number) to all other area codes. Customers will need to reprogram fax machines, PBXs, Key Systems or Custom Calling features to work with the new, shorter telephone numbers.

Verizon is seeking to expand the calling plan to its customers in the following exchanges: Benson, Bradford, Brimfield, Buda, Bureau, Camp Grove, Castleton, Chillicothe, Compton, Cuba, Dover, Dunlap, Edelstein, Elmira, Elmwood, Eureka, Galva, Groveland, Hennepin, Henry, Hopedale, Kewanee, LaMoille, LaRose, Ladd, Low Point, Mackinaw, Manlius, Mendota, Mineral, Minonk, Morton, Mossville, Neponset, Ohio, Princeton, Princeville, Putnam, Roanoke, Sheffield, Sparland, Spring Valley, Sunnyland, Tiskilwa, Toulon, Tremont, Varna, Walnut, Washburn, Washington, West Brooklyn, Wyanet and Wyoming.

The extended calling plan currently is available to Verizon North customers in 43 exchanges across the state. The company plans to request permission to make the plan available to all Verizon North customers in the state over the next 13 months.

Since GTE and Bell Atlantic merged to become Verizon last June, the company has reduced its local rates in Illinois by more than $10 million. In addition, the company is committed to investing $270 million over three years in its existing telecommunications infrastructure.

Under the new calling plan, local calls to additional nearby communities would be priced at local Usage Sensitive Service rates. Those rates are:

• Usage Sensitive Service: A $17.09 monthly fee, plus a call-connection charge of 3 cents per call and a 1.8-cents-per-minute calling charge. These charges are discounted 50 percent on weekends, holidays, and from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays.

Residential customers also can select the following option:

• 11-cents per-call option (for residential customers only): A $17.09 monthly fee plus a flat, 11-cents-per-call charge with no per-minute charge for calls within the local area. These charges also are discounted 50 percent on weekends, holidays and from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays.

Details of the proposed calling plan will be provided to Verizon North customers in the 53 additional Illinois exchanges in their bills soon.

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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 nearly 109 million access line equivalents and more than 27.5 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the world's largest provider of print and online directory information. A Fortune 10 company with approximately 260,000 employees and more than $63 billion in annual revenues, Verizon's global presence extends to 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

New Local Calling Areas

Extended Area Service Calling Plan

The listed towns identify telephone exchanges included in Verizon's new calling plan. Because an "exchange" can include more than one community, customers with telephone prefixes on this chart are included in the offering. New calling areas are in bold type.

Calls from the Benson exchange (309) 394: Eureka, LaRose, Low Point, Metamora, Minonk, Roanoke, Secor, Varna and Washburn.

Calls from the Bradford exchange (309) 897: Buda, Camp Grove, Castleton, Elmira, Kewanee, Neponset, Putnam, Sheffield, Tiskilwa, Toulon, Wyanet and Wyoming.

Calls from the Brimfield exchange (309) 446: Dunlap, Edelstein, Elmwood, Farmington, Hanna City, Peoria, Princeville, Trivoli and Yates City.

Calls from the Buda exchange (309) 895: Bradford, Castleton, Elmira, Kewanee, Manlius, Mineral, Neponset, Princeton, Sheffield, Tiskilwa and Wyanet.

Calls from the Bureau exchange (815) 659: Dover, Hennepin, Henry, Ladd, Princeton, Putnam, Spring Valley, Tiskilwa and Wyanet.

Calls from the Camp Grove exchange (309) 493: Bradford, Castleton, Chillicothe, Dunlap, Edelstein, Elmira, Henry, Lacon, Princeville, Putnam, Sparland, Toulon and Wyoming.

Calls from the Castleton exchange (309) 479: Bradford, Buda, Camp Grove, Edelstein, Elmira, Kewanee, Neponset, Princeville, Toulon and Wyoming.

Calls from the Chillicothe exchange (309) 274: Camp Grove, Dunlap, Edelstein, Germantown Hills, LaRose, Lacon, Low Point, Metamora, Mossville, Princeville, Sparland, Spring Bay and Washburn.

Calls from the Compton exchange (815) 497: Mendota, Paw Paw and West Brooklyn.

Calls from the Cuba exchange (309) 785: Canton, Ellisville, Fairview, Fiatt, Ipava, Lewistown, Marietta, Smithfield and Table Grove.

Calls from the Dover exchange (815) 643: Bureau, Hennepin, LaMoille, Ladd, Manlius, Ohio, Princeton, Spring Valley, Tiskilwa, Walnut and Wyanet.

Calls from the Dunlap exchange (309) 243: Brimfield, Camp Grove, Chillicothe, Dunlap, Edelstein, Germantown Hills, Hanna City, Mossville, Peoria, Princeville, Spring Bay and Wyoming.

Calls from the Edelstein exchange (309) 249: Brimfield, Camp Grove, Castleton, Chillicothe, Dunlap, Germantown Hills, Lacon, Mossville, Peoria, Princeville, Sparland, Spring Bay and Wyoming.

Calls from the Elmira exchange (309) 896: Bradford, Buda, Camp Grove, Castleton, Galva, Kewanee, Mineral, Neponset, Sheffield, Toulon and Wyoming.

Calls from the Elmwood exchange (309) 742: Brimfield, Canton, Fairview, Farmington, Hanna City, Trivoli and Yates City.

Calls from the Eureka exchange (309) 467: Benson, Congerville, Deer Creek, Germantown Hills, Goodfield, Low Point, Mackinaw, Metamora, Morton, Roanoke, Secor, Sunnyland, Washburn and Washington.

Calls from the Galva exchange (309) 932: Elmira, Kewanee and Toulon.

Calls from the Groveland exchange (309) 387: Deer Creek, Germantown Hills, Glasford, Goodfield, Green Valley, Hopedale, Mackinaw, Morton, North Pekin, Pekin, Peoria, South Pekin, Sunnyland, Talbott, Tremont and Washington.

Calls from the Hennepin exchange (815) 925: Bureau, Dover, Granville, Henry, Ladd, McNabb, Princeton, Putnam, Spring Valley, Tiskilwa and Wyanet.

Calls from the Henry exchange (309) 364: Bureau, Camp Grove, Hennepin, LaRose, Lacon, Putnam, Sparland, Tiskilwa, Varna and Washburn.

Calls from the Hopedale exchange (309) 449: Deer Creek, Delavan, Green Valley, Groveland, Mackinaw, Morton, San Jose, South Pekin and Tremont.

Calls from the Kewanee exchange (309) 852, 853, 854, 856: Bradford, Buda, Castleton, Elmira, Galva, Mineral, Neponset, Sheffield, Toulon and Wyoming.

Calls from the LaMoille exchange (815) 638: Dover, Ladd, Mendota, Ohio, Princeton, Spring Valley and West Brooklyn.

Calls from the LaRose exchange (309) 399: Benson, Chillicothe, Henry, Lacon, Low Point, Metamora, Minonk, Roanoke, Sparland, Toluca, Varna and Washburn.

Calls from the Ladd exchange (815) 894: Bureau, Dover, Hennepin, LaMoille, Mendota, Princeton and Spring Valley.

Calls from the Low Point exchange (309) 443: Benson, Chillicothe, Eureka, Germantown Hills, LaRose, Lacon, Metamora, Minonk, Mossville, Roanoke, Secor, Sparland, Sunnyland, Varna, Washburn and Washington.

Calls from the Mackinaw exchange (309) 359: Congerville, Deer Creek, Eureka, Goodfield, Groveland, Hopedale, Morton, Sunnyland, Tremont and Washington.

Calls from the Manlius exchange (815) 445: Buda, Dover, Mineral, Neponset, Ohio, Princeton, Sheffield, Tiskilwa, Walnut and Wyanet.

Calls from the Mendota exchange (815) 538, 539: Compton, LaMoille, Ladd and West Brooklyn.

Calls from the Mineral exchange (309) 288: Annawan, Buda, Elmira, Kewanee, Manlius, Neponset, Sheffield and Wyanet.

Calls from the Minonk exchange (309) 432: Benson, LaRose, Low Point, Roanoke, Secor, Varna and Washburn.

Calls from the Morton exchange (309) 263, 266: Congerville, Deer Creek, Eureka, Germantown Hills, Goodfield, Groveland, Hopedale, Mackinaw, Metamora, North Pekin, Peoria, South Pekin, Sunnyland, Tremont and Washington.

Calls from the Mossville exchange (309) 572, 576, 577, 578, 579: Chillicothe, Dunlap, Edelstein, Germantown Hills, Hanna City, Low Point, Metamora, North Pekin, Peoria, Princeville, Spring Bay, Sunnyland and Washington.

Calls from the Neponset exchange (309) 594: Bradford, Buda, Castleton, Elmira, Kewanee, Manlius, Mineral, Sheffield, Tiskilwa, Toulon and Wyanet.

Calls from the Ohio exchange (815) 376: Dover, LaMoille, Manlius, Princeton and Walnut.

Calls from the Princeton exchange (815) 872, 875, 876, 878, 879: Buda, Bureau, Dover, Hennepin, LaMoille, Ladd, Manlius, Ohio, Putnam, Sheffield, Spring Valley, Tiskilwa, Walnut and Wyanet.

Calls from the Princeville exchange (309) 385: Brimfield, Camp Grove, Castleton, Chillicothe, Dunlap, Edelstein, Mossville, Spring Bay, Toulon, Wyoming.

Calls from the Putnam exchange (815) 437: Bradford, Bureau, Camp Grove, Hennepin, Henry, Lacon, Princeton, Sparland, Spring Grove, Tiskilwa and Varna.

Calls from the Roanoke exchange (309) 923: Benson, Congerville, Deer Creek, Eureka, Germantown Hills, Goodfield, La Rose, Low Point, Metamora, Minonk, Secor, Washburn and Washington.

Calls from the Sheffield exchange (815) 454: Atkinson, Bradford, Buda, Elmira, Kewanee, Manlius, Mineral, Neponset, Princeton, Tiskilwa and Wyanet.

Calls from the Sparland exchange (309) 469: Camp Grove, Chillicothe, Edelstein, Henry, LaRose, Lacon, Low Point, Putnam, Spring Bay, Varna and Washburn.

Calls from the Spring Valley exchange (815) 663, 664: Bureau, Dover, Hennepin, LaMoille, LaSalle/Peru, Ladd, Princeton and Putnam.

Calls from the Sunnyland exchange (309) 745: Deer Creek, Eureka, Germantown Hills, Goodfield, Groveland, Low Point, Mackinaw, Metamora, Morton, Mossville, North Pekin, Pekin, Peoria, Spring Bay, Tremont and Washington.

Calls from the Tiskilwa exchange (815) 646: Bradford, Buda, Bureau, Dover, Hennepin, Henry, Manlius, Neponset, Princeton, Putnam, Sheffield and Wyanet.

Calls from the Toulon exchange (309) 286: Bradford, Camp Grove, Castleton, Elmira, Galva, Kewanee, Lafayette, Neponset, Princeville and Wyoming.

Calls from the Tremont exchange (309) 925: Deer Creek, Delevan, Goodfield, Green Valley, Groveland, Hopedale, Mackinaw, Morton, North Pekin, Pekin, Peoria, South Pekin, Sunnyland and Washington.

Calls from the Varna exchange (309) 463: Benson, Henry, LaRose, Lacon, Low Point, Magnolia, Minonk, Putnam, Sparland, Toluca and Washburn.

Calls from the Walnut exchange (815) 379: Dover, Manlius, Ohio, Princeton and Wyanet.

Calls from the Washburn exchange (309) 248: Benson, Chillicothe, Eureka, Germantown Hills, Henry, LaRose, Lacon, Low Point, Metamora, Minonk, Roanoke, Secor, Sparland, Spring Bay and Varna.

Calls from the Washington exchange (309) 444: Congerville, Deer Creek, Eureka, Germantown Hills, Goodfield, Groveland, Low Point, Mackinaw, Morton, Mossville, North Pekin, Peoria, Roanoke, Secor, Spring Bay, Sunnyland and Tremont.

Calls from the West Brooklyn exchange (815) 628: Compton, LaMoille and Mendota.

Calls from the Wyanet exchange (815) 699: Bradford, Buda, Bureau, Dover, Hennepin, Manlius, Neponset, Princeton, Sheffield, Tiskilwa and Walnut.

Calls from the Wyoming exchange (309) 695: Bradford, Camp Grove, Castleton, Dunlap, Edelstein, Elmira, Kewanee, Princeville and Toulon.

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