Verizon Avenue Deploys Fixed Wireless Broadband Networks in Two Illinois Communities

NEW YORK - Residents and small-business owners in two Illinois communities now have a choice for high-speed Internet access service. Verizon Avenue, a subsidiary of Verizon Communications, has built fixed wireless broadband networks that connect customers to the Internet.

Verizon residential customers in Chatham and Highland, Ill., can now share digital photos, send e-mails with large attachments, download purchased movies and music, play interactive games and telecommute more easily. Verizon small-business customers in both communities can now improve employee productivity, automate manual processes and communicate more efficiently with customers and suppliers.

"Because of Verizon's commitment to delivering broadband to communities throughout our territory, we worked closely with Chatham and Highland officials to deliver broadband here," said Gale Y. Given, Verizon region president for the Great Lakes. "This is a great example of public-private sector collaboration and what it can accomplish."

Fixed wireless broadband networks can be deployed quickly and cost-effectively since cables do not need to be buried or strung from poles. The networks in Chatham and Highland use technology from Alvarion, a leading provider of point-to-multipoint broadband wireless access equipment. Base towers, situated strategically throughout the communities, transmit signals to roof-mounted antennas on individual homes and businesses. The antennas then connect via high-capacity cabling to a dedicated wall jack to deliver the high-speed Internet access.

"This is a welcome development for the residents and business owners of Chatham," said Tom Gray, village president. "This project enhances the profile of our community within the region and has the potential to be a catalyst for economic development. We are pleased that Verizon has chosen our community as one of the first to benefit from this new and expanding broadband technology."

The mayor of Highland, Ill., Joseph R. Michaelis, said, "The Highland community is pleased to be chosen as one of the first in the state of Illinois to receive broadband delivered over fixed wireless broadband. This Verizon Avenue project will deliver a competitive choice to Highland residents and small-business owners seeking affordable broadband connectivity. Verizon is proving that a variety of technologies can be leveraged to provide broadband connectivity to communities of all types."

Broadband for the Home

For residents, Verizon Avenue is offering fixed wireless broadband service for $39.95 per month with a qualifying Verizon package that includes unlimited local calling and a choice of long-distance calling plans. The Internet service has a maximum connection speed of 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 384 kilobits per second (Kbps) upstream.* The total price of Verizon services depends upon which package the customer chooses. Residential customers can also purchase the broadband service on a stand-alone basis - without a Verizon voice-calling package - for a monthly fee of $44.95.

In addition to monthly charges, a one-time fee is assessed for installation of the dedicated wall jack and mounting of the home antenna. For a limited time, Verizon Avenue is offering special promotional pricing of $74.95 for installation - a savings of more than 50 percent over the normal installation charge. Residential customers are not required to sign an annual service contract.

In addition to receiving unlimited high-speed Internet access at a speed comparable to that currently available from the local cable company, subscribers also receive nine e-mail accounts and 10 megabytes (MB) each of mailbox storage and Web space to create a personal home page. The service is supported by round-the-clock, live technical support.

Packages Tailored for the Small Business Owner

Small-business owners have a choice between two packages - one with a dynamic Internet protocol (IP) address and the other with a static address. Both packages have maximum connection speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps downstream and 384 Kbps upstream.

Dynamic IP addresses are best suited for small businesses that do not have a Web site but still use the Internet for research or light to moderate e-mail. Static IP addresses, where a specific Internet routing code is assigned for exclusive use, are ideal for small business that are highly automated, use e-mail extensively to send large files with attachments, have e-commerce capabilities or have employees who telecommute.

Both packages include unlimited high-speed Internet access and 10 e-mail accounts, as well as 20 MB each of mailbox storage and Web space. Small-business packages are only available as a stand-alone service. The service is supported by round-the-clock, live technical support.

In addition to monthly charges, a one-time fee is assessed for installation of the dedicated wall jack and antenna mounting. For a limited time, Verizon Avenue is offering special promotional pricing of $149.95 for installation. This represents a 50 percent savings over the normal installation charge.

Small-business customers are required to sign a one-year service contract, and there is a one-time $25 account set-up fee.

Following are the package prices per month:

• Dynamic Business Package - $69.95.

• Static Business Package - $89.95 for a single IP address. Additional addresses are available for a monthly fee.

How to Order High-Speed Internet Service

Chatham and Highland residents and small-business owners interested in learning more about the Verizon Avenue wireless high-speed Internet service can call 1-800-811-3370.

Verizon Avenue focuses on the deployment of broadband technologies to increase the availability of broadband service within the communities served by Verizon. The unit focuses on two primary markets - its traditional multi-dwelling unit (MDU) market and the emerging market of fixed broadband wireless. In the latter market, Verizon Avenue is deploying fixed wireless broadband to sparsely populated or hard-to-serve areas such as rural communities, tribal reservations and military housing. In the MDU market, Verizon Avenue bundles local and long-distance with high-speed Internet access for residents of high-rise properties and apartment and condominium communities in major metropolitan markets, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa and Washington, D.C. For more information on Verizon Avenue, visit www.verizon.com/avenue.

* NOTE: Actual (throughput) speeds will vary.

With more than $71 billion in annual revenues, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon has a diverse work force of 212,000 in four business units: Domestic Telecom provides customers based in 28 states with wireline and other telecommunications services, including broadband. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 45.5 million voice and data customers across the United States. Information Services operates directory publishing businesses and provides electronic commerce services. International includes wireline and wireless operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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