Verizon Offers Money-Saving Calling Choices To Customers in 16 Additional Indiana Exchanges

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -Verizon is expanding availability of its money-saving, local calling plans to approximately 50,000 residential and business customers in 16 additional Indiana telephone exchanges.

Customers in these exchanges may find that one of the optional Verizon Local Calling Plans can save them money on calls they place to nearby communities. Savings amounts will vary, depending on individual customer calling habits and needs.

New Local Calling Plans are now available to customers in Batesville, Bicknell, Decker, Freelandville, Fritchton, Greensburg, Mitchell, Monroe City, North Vernon, Oaktown, Paoli, Petersburg, Versailles, Westport, Wheatland and Worthington.

"Verizon is continually working to enhance the value of its service for customers," said John Dudley, Great Lakes regional president for Verizon. "We're pleased to offer our Local Calling Plans as additional choices and lower-priced calling alternatives for our customers in Indiana."

Dudley said the company will offer similar calling plans throughout Indiana by August 2002. Currently, Verizon's Local Calling Plans are available in 88 Indiana communities.

The Verizon Local Calling Plans are optional and increase the number of communities callers can reach without paying long-distance charges. Customers can select one of three new plans to fit their specific calling patterns. Customers may also receive detailed billing for a small monthly fee.

The new calling plans include:
• The Community Calling Plan enables customers to continue to place calls within their current local calling area at current flat rates and place calls to additional exchanges at a rate of 7 cents per minute, instead of paying long-distance charges.

• The Community Plus Calling Plan expands the number of exchanges to which a customer can place calls for a flat monthly rate. It also includes the ability to place calls to additional exchanges at 7 cents per minute.

• The Premium Calling Plan is similar to the Community Plus Calling Plan with an expanded number of exchanges included in a customer's local calling area. With the Premium Calling Plan, a block of calling time (15 hours for residential customers and 20 hours for business customers) is provided for calls to additional exchanges. Any minutes of calling to those exchanges beyond the allocated block of time are priced at 7 cents per minute.

Complete details and prices of the new calling plans have been mailed to customers. To subscribe to one of the new plans, customers should complete and return the authorization ballot included with the mailing. Residential customers can also call Verizon toll-free at 1-800-483-4000. Business customers should call 1-800-483-5000 (toll-free).

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 112 million access line equivalents and 27 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. A Fortune 10 company with approximately 260,000 employees and more than $65 billion in annual 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.