Verizon Upgrades Buffalo Area Switching Centers To Enhance Service for Consumers and Businesses

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Verizon customers in Buffalo and several surrounding communities will benefit from more than $1.1 million worth of upgrades in the company's local switching centers.

In addition to four Buffalo switching centers, Verizon recently completed upgrades to centers in Amherst, East Aurora, Lockport and Williamsville. All of these centers include digital switching systems, state-of-the-art computers that route calls to their destinations and provide popular products ranging from voice mail to Caller ID.

The upgrades provide more capacity for processing voice and data communications, meeting the rising demand for local and long-distance calling and Internet access. Surfing the Internet has changed the way customers use their telephones, increasing the average length of a call, which in turn requires more switching capacity.

Verizon provides local and long-distance service to more than 820,000 customer lines in Western New York. Verizon's DSL (digital subscriber line) high-speed Internet access also is available in the region.

"We continue to upgrade our network to provide customers across the Empire State with high-speed access to the Internet, work-at-home capabilities, as well as a host of other innovative advanced services," said Paul A. Crotty, president of Verizon New York.

"These projects highlight Verizon's continued commitment to improving and expanding its network in Western New York," said Crotty. "Whether deploying new fiber-optic systems or offering popular calling features and new, innovative local and long-distance calling plans, Verizon is helping consumers and businesses make progress every day."

Crotty said Verizon has made major strides in deploying advanced technology in its New York network:
• Annual spending on Verizon's New York network topped $2 billion in 2001. The company's infrastructure investments since 1995 now total more than $10.2 billion.

• Miles of fiber-optic cable in New York increased to more than 1.4 million in 2001, up from about 715,000 in 1995.

• All 586 Verizon call-routing centers throughout the state use the latest digital technology systems.

Verizon Online DSL was launched in New York in the summer of 1999. DSL is a high-speed connection to the Internet that enables users to connect to cyberspace at speeds significantly faster than today's fastest analog modems.

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 133.8 million access line equivalents and approximately 29.6 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and nearly 248,000 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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