Verizon Launches New Global Services for Voice and Data Transport and Signs Agreements with Large Business Customers

NEW YORK - Verizon has launched high-speed international private line and frame relay services over its managed global network and announced agreements to provide new international services to a number of large businesses and organizations. The customers include ILX Systems, Mellon Financial Corp., the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Nortel Networks* Inc. and Serono International S.A.

"We believe this is an opportune time to offer international services to corporations that need to communicate with customers, suppliers and other company locations around the globe," said Eduardo R. Menascé, president, Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group. "More than ever before, these companies are seeking increased diversity and alternate routing for their global communications -- and they want highly reliable service from a trusted provider.

"These agreements with large business customers are a significant step forward for Verizon. They mark our entrance into the international communications market for large business and also represent an important growth opportunity," Menascé said.

Under agreements signed with its customers, Verizon will provide high-capacity services: between New York and London for ILX Systems, the world's largest provider of market data systems to professional stockbrokers; between Boston and London for Mellon, a leading global financial services company; between Hilo, Hawaii and Mitaka, Japan, a suburb of Tokyo, for the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, a Japanese astronomical research organization; between Raleigh, N.C. and Ottawa, Canada for Nortel Networks, an industry leader in providing global networking solutions; and between suburban Boston and Canada for Serono, an international biotechnology company.

"These companies rely on a variety of carriers for international long-distance services, and Verizon is now a part of the mix," Menascé said. "We believe that once these companies -- and others - try our international services, they will give us an increasing amount of their business - and that is our goal."

The Verizon global network is a high-bandwidth, fiber-optic backbone with international capabilities that provides built-in redundancy and connections to major cities around the globe. In addition to the backbone, Verizon also manages interconnections with other networks to provide end-to-end service to customers.

Verizon's new global private line and frame relay services enable customers to connect major locations with branch offices or remote facilities around the world. These services are well-suited for the transmission of data-intensive information, multi-media streaming, real-time data back-up and storage and business continuity services.

Private line service offers a direct point-to-point connection - specifically dedicated to a customer's use - between two or more sites. The service can carry any type of voice, video or data application. Frame relay is designed to transport bursts of data at high speeds and provides customers with on-demand bandwidth capabilities.

Courtney Munroe, vice president of telecom and IP services for IDC, an industry market research firm, said: "Verizon has made an excellent debut into the international market with the introduction of private line and frame relay services. Multinational corporations seeking international coverage will be able to experience class-leading reliability and customer service.

"With this suite of services, and others to follow, Verizon has the potential to develop into one of the leading facilities-based international telecom service providers," Munroe said.

Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group is marketing global private line and global frame relay service as part of the business unit's long-distance offering to large multinational corporations and government customers in the 41 states where Verizon is now authorized to offer long-distance service. In the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions, those states include Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Later this year, Verizon plans to broaden its portfolio of advanced global services by launching a variety of additional services, including managed network solutions, which will enable Verizon to remotely monitor a customer's data networks in multiple regions of the world. In addition, Verizon will extend its call center solutions business further in Europe and introduce it in other overseas markets.

Thomas A. Bartlett, president, Verizon Global Solutions Inc., said, "Globalizing our products and services and providing a single point of contact to meet the end-to-end global communications requirements of multinational corporations are integral parts of Verizon's plan to become a leader in the global communications market."

"We've assembled a technologically advanced, highly reliable fiber-optic network that is backed by Verizon's heritage of extensive network experience and long-standing customer relationships. We've done this in a financially disciplined way, targeting a defined set of major cities in the world that are commercial centers," Bartlett said.

Verizon Global Solutions

Verizon Global Solutions, the business unit responsible for assembling and operating the global network, is providing a suite of global voice, data and Internet protocol services to Verizon business units and affiliates as well as to carriers on a wholesale basis. To support its marketing efforts to carrier customers, Global Solutions recently opened offices in Europe to complement existing offices serving the Asia-Pacific and Latin American markets.

Launched last year, the global network now connects London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Madrid and Milan in a European ring with connections to New York, Los Angeles and Miami. From Los Angeles, the network extends to Honolulu and then on to Tokyo, with interconnections to other commercial centers in the Asia/Pacific region.

Based on customer requirements, the global network's backbone will be extended even farther to provide facilities-based services to other major cities around the world.

The global network also has significant coverage in North America through agreements and interconnection facilities with Verizon affiliates in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. In addition, Verizon Global Solutions is providing wholesale Internet access services to Verizon affiliates in Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group

Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group manages the design, operation and maintenance of end-to-end total network integrated solutions for large business and government customers across the United States. With 14,500 employees in 46 states, Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group offers a complete range of basic and advanced communications products and services to meet the voice, video, data and IP-related needs of its customers. For more information on products and services available through Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group, please visit www.verizon.com/enterprisesolutions.

Verizon Global Solutions Inc.

Verizon Global Solutions Inc. delivers advanced communications solutions that customers can rely on. Global Solutions' network interconnects leading commercial centers in the world and is backed by superior customer support. Global Solutions also leverages its strong partnerships with major international providers, giving customers access to an extensive selection of voice, data and IP products and services. For more information, visit www.verizon.com/global.

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 132.1 million access line equivalents and 29.4 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. A Fortune 10 company with more than $67 billion in annual revenues and approximately 247,000 employees, 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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