Verizon's Newest Spanish-Language Advertising Campaign Features Latin American Balladist José José

NEW YORK - Viewers of Spanish-language television channels in several major markets have begun seeing advertisements that tout Verizon High Speed Internet service as the best broadband solution for consumers who want a fast, reliable connection to the Internet at a competitive price.

In the television commercial, viewers see a woman struggling with a slow dial-up connection to try to download a music video clip of José José singing one of his most popular songs, "La Nave del Olvido" (The Ship of Oblivion).  To reinforce the woman's plight, the song gets stuck on "... espera un poco, un poquitiiiiiiiii ...," which means, "Wait a bit more."  An announcer's voice explains that a faster Internet connection can be experienced by ordering Verizon High Speed Internet for $12.99 per month for the first six months ($17.99 for the next six months) with a one-year contract. 

Verizon's new advertising campaign, which began last week, is appearing on Spanish-language TV channels and radio stations in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa and Washington, D.C.  The campaign also features newspaper advertisements in those cities as well as in Dallas and Los Angeles, and online ads.

"People are increasingly using the Internet for entertainment purposes and downloading and uploading music, video and photos," said Marquita Carter, director of multicultural marketing for Verizon. "A high percentage of Hispanic consumers still use a dial-up connection. This campaign was created to showcase how Verizon High Speed Internet makes it simple to quickly share while helping families stay connected." 

Verizon High Speed Internet service delivers three broadband speeds: a maximum downstream connection speed of up to 7 Mbps (megabits per second) in some areas; a maximum downstream connection speed of up to 3 Mbps; and a maximum downstream connection speed of up to 768 Kbps (kilobits per second) - which is 21 times faster than a dial-up connection.*

Through May 3, customers can subscribe to Verizon High Speed Internet at up to 768 Kbps for $12.99 per month for the first six months with a one-year contract, and then pay $17.99 per month for the next six months.

Verizon High Speed Internet comes with an installation kit CD that allows customers to select either English or Spanish as their language of preference when they install and register the service. Customer service support in Spanish is also available.

"Through market research, we've learned that Spanish-speaking broadband users feel more comfortable with an end-to-end in-language experience," said Carter. "The Spanish-language installation kit for Verizon High Speed Internet offers consumers an added-value service many other providers do not."

Verizon High Speed Internet service is delivered on a dedicated line from Verizon's central office to the customer's home and is backed by live, 24 x 7 customer service and technical support.  High-Speed Internet subscribers have access to an extensive collection of features and services, including:

• One-of-a-Kind NFL Experience Online:  Customers who subscribe to Verizon High Speed Internet and DIRECTV from Verizon enjoy the added benefit of free access to NFL Network Game Extra, a unique service that includes live, online broadcasts of Thursday and Saturday pro football games.  Viewers of the online broadcasts will have access to alternate camera angles and live audio feeds and have the ability to view one of four camera angles, or all four angles simultaneously.  The online service can be accessed anywhere in the world through any broadband connected computer.

• Online protection with Verizon Internet Security Suite:  In one download, this comprehensive online protection suite provides anti-spyware, anti-virus, firewall, parental control, pop-up blocker and privacy manager protection that run continuously behind the scene.  The suite automatically updates every three hours.  Just set it and forget it.  The cost is just $4.99 a month for use on up to three household computers.
• Verizon Premium Tech Support:  A unique service that provides expert one-on-one assistance for a wide variety of issues like spyware, adware, viruses, hardware problems, computer operating systems and other issues not typically covered by Internet service providers.  The service supports routers, network cards, video cards, sound cards, CD/DVD reader-writer, hard drives, flash memory systems, printers, scanners, gaming consoles, firewalls and more.  The cost is $9.99 a month.
• Online gaming from Verizon:  Play hundreds of the most popular PC games for free with Verizon Arcade, or choose from a variety of Verizon Games on Demand packages, including Family Place, a package that features more than 400 family-friendly casual games for just $7.99 a month.
• Free entertainment for children of all ages with Disney Connection:  From activities, games and classic cartoons to movie previews, music videos and more, Disney Connection provides age-appropriate content for preschoolers, kids, teens and Disney enthusiasts.  The content includes access to Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online and Disney Game Kingdom Online.
• Free news from ABC News Now:  A 24-hour news and information channel, ABC News Now delivers live breaking news, headlines every half hour, and  more than 25 original news, lifestyle and entertainment programs such as "Politics Live," "What's the Buzz" and "Money Matters."
• Free sports from ESPN360:  The service offers programming that includes hundreds of hours of live games, analysis and exclusive content on-demand with exclusive access to the Internet's best events.

For more information on Verizon High Speed Internet, visit www.verizon.com/poquito, or call 888-563-8247 for customer service support in English or Spanish.

Verizon has been a strong supporter of the Hispanic community and joined  the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and Scholastic Inc. to launch Lee y serás® (Read and You Will Be), a national Latino early literacy initiative that engages parents and communities in the literacy development of their children. Since 2004, the Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, has provided more than $24 million to programs and organizations that support the Hispanic community. 

* Speed comparison based upon performance with a 56.6 kilobits per second (kbps) modem. Actual speed may vary.

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 nearly 66 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 235,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com/espanol.

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