Verizon's High Speed Internet Service Now Available in Simpsonville and Woodruff, S.C., Areas

Consumers and businesses in Simpsonville and Woodruff have a choice for broadband service now that Verizon has made its Verizon High Speed Internet (HSI) service available on approximately 20,000 of the company's lines in the area.

The rollout of Verizon's HSI in these communities is good news for cost-conscious consumers seeking the best value in home communications and entertainment services, as Verizon's bundles of HSI, Verizon Freedom unlimited local and long-distance calling and DIRECTV® service offer attractive solutions that beat rival offers from cable companies.

In addition, the company currently has a three-months-free promotion that includes a free modem for new Verizon HSI customers.  Prices begin at $19.99 per month, with a one-year agreement.

"Residents and businesses in Simpsonville and Woodruff have been asking for a broadband choice for some time, and now they have a rock-solid, reliable alternative - Verizon High Speed Internet," said Stan Bugner, Verizon vice president-public affairs, policy and communications in South Carolina.  "We're helping consumers keep a handle on their household budgets by providing greater value than cable companies offer.

"Verizon bundles give consumers High Speed Internet connections perfect for file sharing and sending and receiving large amounts of data; unlimited local and long-distance phone service; plus the all-digital-quality of DIRECTV service," said Bugner.

Verizon High Speed Internet, enabled by digital subscriber line (DSL) technology, is the company's most widely available broadband data service with more than 25 million households qualifying for HSI in parts of 24 states and the District of Columbia.  Locally, residents and businesses in Simpsonville and Woodruff can get Verizon's High Speed Internet service as long as their homes or businesses are located within approximately three miles of the nearest DSL-enabled Verizon switching office.

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.

Great, Affordable Bundles of Voice, Broadband and Video

Verizon's cost-effective bundles - voice and Internet services delivered over the company's 99.9 percent reliable network, and satellite TV service - start at  $79.99 per month.*  DIRECTV offers access to more than 130 high-definition channels, plus more than 265 all-digital channels. 

New Verizon and DIRECTV customers who sign up can get up-to-3 megabits-per-second (Mbps) High Speed Internet service, Freedom Essentials unlimited local and long-distance calling plan and HD DVR^TM package for $119.99 per month (after online or mail-in rebate) for one year.  New Verizon and DIRECTV customers can get the same Verizon services PLUS DVR^TM package in standard definition for $109.99 per month (after online or mail-in rebate) for one year.

Verizon also now includes thousands of free Wi-Fi hot spots for customers to use when traveling around town or across the country.  Customers who order or already have Verizon bundles that include Verizon Freedom Essentials and High Speed Internet service of up to 3 Mbps receive access to the free Wi-Fi hot spots.  Prices for Verizon Freedom Essentials and up-to-3-Mbps HSI start at $69.99 per month.

In addition to the value-priced bundles, Verizon will continue to offer its non-bundled HSI service to Verizon voice customers at a guaranteed price of $17.99 per month for speeds of up to 1 Mbps/384 Kbps, or $29.99 per month for up to 3 Mbps/768 Kbps* for as long as they keep the service, when they sign a two-year agreement.

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; free parental controls through the Verizon Parental Control Center; and the Verizon Internet Security Suite, which provides comprehensive online protection from spyware and viruses for as little as $5.99 a month, or $59.99 for one year, and includes a firewall, a pop-up-blocker and privacy manager software to help keep customers safe from hackers and phishing attacks.

Consumers can get more information about Verizon's High Speed Internet service by visiting www.verizon.com or by calling 1-800-VERIZON (1-800-837-4966).

* Internet speeds refer to the connection speed between the user's location and Verizon's central office. Actual surfing speeds will vary based on many factors and may be lower than connection speed.

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 87 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 235,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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