Verizon Widens Availability of Its Fastest DSL-Enabled High Speed Internet Service in Maryland

BALTIMORE – To satisfy the growing broadband needs of Maryland consumers, Verizon has expanded its fastest High Speed Internet (HSI) service, which delivers Internet download speeds of up to 7.1 megabits per second (Mbps) to nearly 90,000 additional households in five Maryland cities.

The latest expansion increased the availability of the super-fast service in parts of Baltimore (including Hamilton and along York Road), Bel Air, Cumberland, Rockville, and Sykesville.

 "Our competitively priced consumer broadband service delivers tremendous value," said Mary Ellen Payne, Verizon's senior vice president of marketing for the Potomac region. "The expansion of our fastest Verizon High Speed Internet service tier will allow even more customers to enhance their overall online experience."

New customers who order Verizon's stand-alone, up to 7.1 Mbps/768 Kbps* (kilobits per second) HSI service, based on digital subscriber line technology, can lock in a rate of $37.99 per month with a two-year commitment that guarantees the price for as long as they keep the service.

New customers who order a bundle of Verizon High Speed Internet service, Verizon Freedom unlimited local and long-distance calling services, and DIRECTV service by June 20 can get an even sweeter deal with a current promotion that offers up to $150 back from Verizon in the form of a prepaid card.

Verizon High Speed Internet Service Satisfies Consumer Need for Speed

The company's fastest tier of High Speed Internet service delivers download speeds that enable easy sharing of large data and multimedia files.  In addition to the up to 7.1 Mbps tier, Verizon also offers HSI tiers of up to 3 Mbps/768 Kbps and up to 1 Mbps/384 Kbps.

Verizon High Speed Internet service is the company's most popular and most widely available broadband data service, available to more than 20 million households in parts of 24 states and the District of Columbia.  Moreover, Verizon HSI subscribers are not subject to the bandwidth caps that some Internet service providers assess.

According to PC Magazine's 2008 readers' survey, Verizon High Speed Internet beat the average cable provider's score in reliability, the likelihood of a customer choosing an Internet service provider, as well as the associated costs and fees for the service.

Through June 20, consumers who order Verizon's High Speed Internet service can also take advantage of one free phone consultation with the company's premium technical support team, within 30 days of their order.  This offer covers a broad range of services including home network configuration, PC and printer setup, and operating system and software support.  It is a $90 value, and is above and beyond what comes free with Verizon's 24 x 7 standard technical support.

Verizon HSI customers also receive access to an extensive portfolio of value-added services, including 250 MB (megabytes) of free Verizon Online Backup and Sharing, which provides useful disaster-recovery support.

The company's popular Verizon Internet Security Suite provides comprehensive online protection from spyware and viruses for as little as $5.99 a month and includes anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, parental control, a pop-up blocker and privacy manager software to help keep customers safe from hackers and phishing attacks.

In addition, customers can protect their investments in home-entertainment and communications equipment by subscribing to a comprehensive suite of device protection plans such as Protection Pak Enhanced, which, in cases of a malfunction, cover the repair or replacement of all eligible computers, telephones and TVs in a customer's home, regardless of the device's place of purchase or age.  Coverage is less than $1 a day.

Customers can call 1-800-VERIZON (1-800-837-4966) or visit http://www22.verizon.com/residential/highspeedinternet/ for more information about Verizon High Speed Internet service.

* Actual (throughput) speeds may vary.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 86 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations provide converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  Wireline also includes Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 237,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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