Verizon Investment in New York Communications Network Tops $2 Billion This Year

NEW YORK -- Verizon invested approximately $2.1 billion in its New York telecommunications network

during 2000, ensuring that the state's residents and businesses continue to benefit from the best communications

system in the world.

The company's yearly investment, which since 1995 now totals more than $10.2 billion, is targeted at expanding,

enhancing and maintaining the vast network of wires, cables, switching centers, and customer support systems

throughout the state. Verizon has $24 billion invested in telecommunications equipment and facilities in the state.

"The only way for Verizon to succeed with its customers is to provide the best possible service," said Paul

Crotty, Verizon's group president for New York. "And the only way to provide top-quality service is by

plowing funds, manpower and technological innovations back into the state's telecommunications infrastructure.

Verizon is proud of its service record in New York, and its highly trained employees, who work tirelessly to satisfy

customers' communications needs."

Verizon's New York network now includes 586 digital call-switching centers, which are the central nervous system of

the network responsible for routing calls and providing enhanced services. It also includes more than 1.2 million miles

of fiber-optic cable, and serves nearly 11 million retail access lines and an additional 1.7 million lines leased by other

telecommunications companies.

The company will end the year with more than 1.2 million long-distance customers in the state. Late last year, Verizon

became the first regional telecommunications company to win approval to offer long-distance service in its service

area, enabling the company in January to offer both local and long distance service to its New York customers.

During the year, the company launched a variety of innovative, valuable and surprise-free long-distance products in the

state, including the highly successful prepaid calling package called SmartTouch^sm.

Because of new choices in telecommunications services in the state, the consumer group TRAC (Telecommunications

Research and Action Center) estimated that New Yorkers saved approximately $220 million in local and long

distance charges.

During the year, the company also made significant progress in rolling out high-speed Internet access over DSL (digital

subscriber line). The company exceeded its year-end goal to sell at least 500,000 Internet DSL lines, a 400-percent

increase over the beginning of the year. The monthly charge for Verizon Online's most popular Internet DSL service is

now $39.95 across the nation.

Demonstrating its commitment to the communities it serves, Verizon Foundation made grants totaling more than $12

million during the year to non-profit organizations in the state.

"By all counts, 2000 was a successful year for Verizon and its New York customers," Crotty said.

"The state continues to enjoy the benefits of an advanced telecommunications network, our service has never

been better, and our customers have more choices for services as a result of our initiatives to open our network to

competitors. Verizon is delivering on its promises to the residents and businesses of the State of New York."

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, 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 more than 101 million access line equivalents and more than 26 million

wireless customers. A Fortune 10 company with more than 260,000 employees and approximately $60 billion in

1999 revenues, Verizon's global presence extends to 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For

more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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