Verizon Transfers Responsibility for Network Systems in Three Northern New England States to FairPoint Communications

NEW YORK - Verizon Communications announced Monday (Feb. 2) that it has completed the process of transferring to FairPoint Communications Inc. all responsibility for the systems supporting the operations of FairPoint in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

FairPoint Communications provided a Notice of Readiness to Verizon in November, indicating that FairPoint would conclude its Transition Services Agreement with Verizon at the end of January 2009.  FairPoint will complete the transition of its customers in the three-state region to its own new suite of state-of-the-art fully integrated systems over the next few days.

"Both parties have worked hard to make this cutover as seamless as possible for the residents of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, who have been served by FairPoint since March of last year," said Jim Brophy, Verizon director of business development. 

"We commend FairPoint and Capgemini U.S. LLC, as FairPoint's lead integration partner, for their thorough oversight of the cutover and maintaining a collaborative work environment that has enabled FairPoint and Verizon to accomplish the cutover this past weekend.  We will continue to assist FairPoint as it completes its part of the cutover and prepares its own systems to operate on a stand-alone basis," Brophy said.

In March 2008, FairPoint acquired the former landline operations of Verizon in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. 

Since the signing of the transaction agreements in January 2007, Verizon has devoted substantial resources and time to planning for the cutover by FairPoint.  Since the transaction closed in March 2008, Verizon has provided a broad range of back-office services supporting FairPoint's customers, network, daily operations and employees, using Verizon's systems.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, 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 more than 80 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 224,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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