Verizon Establishes Program To Evaluate New Central Office Equipment

NEW YORK - Verizon has certified five independent testing laboratories to witness or conduct essential electrical and environmental safety testing at vendor facilities that manufacture equipment for Verizon.

To ensure that equipment meets strict telecommunications industry electrical and environmental safety standards, Verizon requires that telecommunications equipment be tested by independent testing laboratories of the manufacturer's choosing. The testers use the Network Equipment Building System (NEBS) standards established by and used throughout the telecommunications industry.

In the past these tests were performed exclusively at the testing labs' premises. Under the program being announced today, Verizon has certified five independent testing laboratories to witness or conduct required NEBS testing at Verizon manufacturers' facilities.

Although Verizon has selected five independent laboratories to perform NEBS testing at the manufacturer's facilities, Verizon will continue to accept results from other testing laboratories when such tests are performed at the testing labs' premises. The NEBS testing is designed to determine that new central office equipment meets NEBS standards before it is purchased and used to provide service to Verizon customers.

The primary goals of the program are to expedite product-to-market cycles for Verizon's telecommunications equipment manufacturers and to create more economical compliance testing processes for them.

"Verizon's NEBS-certified independent testing laboratory program underscores our commitment to delivering quality products and services to our customers as quickly as possible," said Chuck Graff, director for NEBS compliance at Verizon Laboratories. "This program is also designed to help manufacturers we work with complete the design and testing cycle at less cost."

The five laboratories selected and certified by Verizon are:
• Intertek Testing Services, Lexington, Kentucky

• National Technical Systems, Acton, Massachusetts

• Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas

• Underwriters Laboratories, Northbrook, Illinois

• Wyle Laboratories, Huntsville, Alabama

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 128.5 million access line equivalents and 28.7 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. A Fortune 10 company with 256,000 employees and approximately $65 billion in annual revenues, 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.