Verizon Online More Than Doubles Number Of Internet Express Lanes In Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine - More people in Maine will be able to enjoy the benefits of high-speed Internet access now that Verizon Online is bringing digital subscriber line (DSL) service to more consumers and businesses. Verizon DSL lets computer users connect to distant computers or the Internet and transmit and receive data at super-fast speeds.

Verizon is deploying DSL in 22 additional Maine service areas as part of the company's accelerated DSL rollout schedule to extend the service to millions of additional homes. In February, the Federal Communications Commission agreed to policy changes that improved the business environment for Verizon and other DSL service providers, making more aggressive broadband deployment possible.

With the additional DSL rollout, Verizon Online is now making high-speed Internet access available from switching offices that serve more than two-thirds of Verizon's access lines in Maine.

"DSL provides customers with the speed they need to take full advantage of the Internet for their small business needs, telecommuting, banking, shopping online and entertainment like games-on-demand," said Ed Dinan, president of Verizon Maine. "If you've wanted DSL service from us in the past, but it wasn't in your neighborhood, now's the time to check with us on current availability."

Verizon Online recently began offering high-speed Internet service in Bar Harbor, Belfast, Boothbay Harbor, Brewer, Camden, Gardiner, Gorham, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Lisbon Falls, Millinocket, Norway, Old Town, Orono, Presque Isle, Rockland, Rumford, Skowhegan, Waterville and Yarmouth. Verizon also plans to make DSL available to customers in Caribou and Houlton later this month.

The service was initially introduced to Maine three years ago in Augusta, Bangor, Bath, Biddeford, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Lewiston, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Sanford, Scarborough, South Portland, Wells, Westbrook, Windham and York.

"The expanded availability of DSL service is great news for Maine in these challenging times," said Gov. John Baldacci. "Broadband technologies are transforming the ways we gain knowledge and conduct business. The wider availability of high speed access to the Internet is making Maine more competitive."

Maine Senate President Beverly Daggett said, "The significance of Verizon's service expansion is that DSL is becoming available in areas of the state that will greatly benefit in terms of both economic and social development. The introduction of advanced telecommunications services has proven to be a strong catalyst for growth, especially in rural economies."

House Speaker Patrick Colwell said, "Verizon's continued investment in Maine's infrastructure is impressive and very important to our state's future. Verizon's commitment to state-of-the-art technology is clearly making a difference for Maine, laying the foundation for the delivery of better education, more efficient government, improved healthcare, new job creation and a more solid economy."

Verizon Online Offers Choice of DSL Pricing Plans

Verizon Online offers three pricing plans for its most popular residential DSL service that offers maximum speeds of 768Kbps (kilobits per second) downstream and 128Kbps upstream. Current promotions for new customers who order DSL service by April 30 are as follows --

• With a one-year commitment DSL service is $39.95 a month. The first month is free when customers order DSL online at. www.verizon.net.

• The month-to-month plan is $29.95 for the first six months, and then the monthly price is $49.95. The first month is free when customers order DSL online at www.verizon.net.

• With the Veriations bundle of Verizon services DSL service is $29.95 for the first six months; then it is $34.95 a month.

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

Share the Connection

When customers sign up for DSL, they can also buy Linksys' wired and wireless routers for $99.95 and $149.95 respectively from Verizon Online. Both products allow consumers and businesses to create a local area network (LAN) by connecting multiple home computers to one DSL connection. Creating a network also provides a built-in firewall for added security. There's no monthly charge for sharing the DSL connection.

All Verizon Online DSL packages for consumers 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 on their monthly telephone bills or a credit card. All packages come with a 30-day, money-back guarantee.

Verizon Online DSL for Business Customers

Verizon Online offers six DSL packages to meet the broadband needs of 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.

Companies that subscribe to Veriations for Business, a bundle of Verizon business-level services on one bill, qualify for a 10 percent discount on their DSL service with a dynamic Internet protocol (IP) address. The bundle includes FirmRate Plus or SimpleOptions long-distance calling plans, DSL and a local package such as WorkSmart, Centrex Plus or CustoPAK.

DSL business packages include the high-speed connection, six domain name e-mail boxes (yourname@yourcompany.com), domain name registration or transfer and domain name service (DNS). 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 save time by using the company's new point-and-click Web site tools to edit their own sites.

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 interfere with the ability of individual telephone lines to get DSL, even when the lines are 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, 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 businesses. Verizon Online DSL service is available in 23 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 135.8 million access line equivalents and 32.5 million Verizon Wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and 229,500 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 30 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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