Verizon Online Introduces High-Speed Internet Access In Culpeper and Fredericksburg, Va.

RICHMOND, Va. - Verizon Online is raising the speed limit in Culpeper and Fredericksburg with the introduction of super-fast digital subscriber line (DSL) service for consumers and businesses.

Verizon is offering the high-speed Internet access service to customers in Culpeper (540 area code) whose telephone numbers begin with the following prefixes: 727, 825, 827 and 829. The service is also being offered in Fredericksburg to customers with the following prefixes: 310, 361, 368, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 654, 710, 741, 834, 891, 898, 899 and 937. To see if a phone line qualifies for DSL, customers can check online atwww.verizon.net.

DSL service is already available to Verizon customers throughout much of Northern Virginia, Greater Richmond and Hampton Roads.

Customers can pick up a do-it-yourself installation kit with a DSL modem at a Best Buy store for $99 after manufacturer's rebate. When the service is ordered online, either at a kiosk at the store or at home or the office, the first month is free.

"DSL provides customers with the speed they need to take full advantage of the Internet, whether they use it for their small business, telecommuting, shopping online or downloading video clips," said Robert Woltz, president of Verizon Virginia. "Now our customers in Culpeper and Fredericksburg can enjoy the benefits of turbo-charged Internet access."

Verizon Online Offers Choice of DSL Pricing Plans

Verizon Online offers several pricing plans for its most popular residential DSL service that offers a maximum speed of 768Kbps (kilobits per second) downstream and 128Kbps upstream.

• With a one-year commitment, new customers pay $39.95 a month if the service is ordered by Dec. 31.

• On the month-to-month plan, the first six months of DSL service are $29.95 if ordered by Dec. 31, then the monthly price goes to $49.95.

Local Verizon telephone customers who want to order basic DSL service or faster DSL service, can get more information at www.verizon.net or by calling Verizon at 1-800-567-6789.

Verizon Online DSL consumer packages include a free do-it-yourself installation kit with a DSL modem, 10 MB (megabytes) of Web storage, 10 MB of e-mail storage and four e-mail boxes. Customers can be billed for the service via their monthly telephone bills or a credit card. All packages come with a 30-day, money-back guarantee.

Consumers with more than one computer can also buy a router to connect their computers. The router enables computers to share one DSL connection within their home and provides a built-in firewall for added security.

Verizon Online DSL for Business Customers

Verizon Online offers six DSL packages to meet the broadband needs of small and medium-size businesses. The packages range from speeds of 768Kbps downstream and 128Kbps upstream to 7.1Mbps (megabits per second) downstream and 768Kbps upstream. Prices range from $59.95 to $204.95 a month.

Business packages include the high-speed connection, six domain name e-mail boxes, domain name registration or transfer and DNS (Domain Name System). Verizon Online offers wireless and wired routers that allow small and medium-size businesses to connect multiple computers to a single DSL line.

Verizon Online also offers businesses a robust portfolio of business e-mail and Web hosting services . Customers can make their own edits and save time by using the company's new point-and-click Web site tools.

Technical Definitions

DSL service generally is available to homes and offices located within approximately three miles of Verizon's local switching center or "central office." Some technical limitations may block individual telephone lines from using DSL, even when the lines are located within three miles of a DSL-equipped central office.

Downstream and upstream speeds describing Verizon Online's DSL services are maximum connection speeds between the customer's computer and Verizon's DSL equipment. Actual connection speeds will vary from the maximum speeds and often will be lower. Throughput or download speeds will be lower than connection speeds and vary based on telephone line condition and distance from Verizon's central office, PC configuration, home or office wiring and the server or router speed of sites visited on the Internet, among other factors.

Verizon Online is a full-service Internet service provider, offering a complete selection of dial-up, DSL and dedicated Internet access services for residential consumers and small and medium-size businesses. Verizon Online DSL service is available in 27 states and the District of Columbia.

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 135.0 million access line equivalents and 31.5 million Verizon Wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and more than 236,000 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 35 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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