Verizon Invests $490,000 To Better Serve Wisconsin's Cottage Grove Customers

COTTAGE GROVE, Wis. - Verizon customers in the Cottage Grove area will soon have improved communications as the result of a $490,000 investment the company is making in its call-switching center here.

Verizon is increasing the size of its Cottage Grove facility with a two-story building addition. The new space will accommodate additional switching and DSL (digital subscriber line) equipment for this fast-growing community.

The addition - along with a new roofing system, mechanical and electrical enhancements, and improvements to existing cable entering the building - will increase the capacity and reliability of the Verizon telecommunications network. The project will be completed in June.

Verizon worked closely with the Cottage Grove Building and Planning Commission to ensure that the addition conformed to the physical character of the neighborhood. For example, Verizon added a decorative mansard roof, false windows and a large planter on the side facing the street. Air conditioning and other exterior equipment will be concealed behind an ornamental wooden security fence.

During the past three years, Verizon has invested more than $210 million in its Wisconsin network.

"This project demonstrates Verizon's commitment to build and maintain an advanced telecommunications network throughout the Badger State," said Dan Matson, Verizon vice-president, regulatory and governmental affairs. "We continue to invest in our state-of-the-art infrastructure to maintain service excellence, as well as to provide a platform for high-speed access to the Internet and a host of other advanced services.

"Whether we're making significant network upgrades or offering new services and packages of local, long-distance and broadband services, Verizon is helping consumers and businesses make progress every day."

Verizon Communications

A Fortune 10 company, 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 136.6 million access line equivalents and 33.3 million Verizon Wireless customers. Verizon is the third-largest long-distance carrier for U.S. consumers, with 13.2 million long-distance lines, and the company is also the largest directory publisher in the world, as measured by directory titles and circulation. With approximately $67 billion in annual revenues and 227,000 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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