Verizon to Open Work Center in Syracuse Area to Support Advanced Fiber-Optic Services, Adding Up to 50 New Jobs This Year and as Many as 150 Over Next 2 Years

DEWITT, N.Y. - Verizon will open a new customer support center for advanced fiber-optic services in this town just east of Syracuse and create up to 50 new jobs this year. Over the next two years, the center will employ up to 150 people.

Employees in the new Fiber Solutions Center (FSC) will support consumers and business customers who purchase new broadband products and video services over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network. The new center will take calls from customers across several states served by Verizon.

Verizon has begun building FTTP in parts of 12 states, including central New York. The new technology uses a fiber-optic link to directly connect a home or business to the Verizon network, replacing the copper-wire technology used today.

"The Fiber Solutions Center and its employees will offer the highest quality broadband service possible for our customers," said Jeff Bell, director of the new center for Verizon. "These new employees will learn how this technology works so that they can help our customers get the most out of the best broadband available today."

U.S. Rep. Jim Walsh said, "This is certainly welcome news for Syracuse and central New York. Not only will Verizon's investment result in new jobs for our community, but it will create a competitive environment giving people another choice for their audio, visual, data and voice communication needs. Verizon's commitment is another strong indicator that Syracuse has successfully made the transition from an old-line analog economy to a digital one. I'm delighted that a world-class company like Verizon sees our community in that light."

Verizon is selling services under the FiOS brand that include high-speed Internet access services to consumers served by the company's new FTTP network in parts of California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

The company is offering three classes of service with downstream (download) speeds of up to 5, 15, and 30 Mbps (megabits per second).*

Paul Crotty, Verizon group president for New York and Connecticut, said, "This is great news for the Syracuse area and reinforces our commitment to New York. We're looking forward to watching our newest customer support center grow along with our FiOS customer base."

The new center will be located at 6360 Thompson Road, utilizing existing space in a building already owned by Verizon. Employees in the center will handle calls from customers who buy the new FiOS products, answering technical questions, assisting customers in trouble-shooting problems, and diagnosing and correcting them remotely. Verizon will begin hiring and training employees next month.

Verizon has already opened similar customer service centers in Dallas, Hampton, Va., Providence, R.I., and Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Verizon began building its FTTP network in Keller, Texas, in May 2004. The company expects to hire some 3,000 to 5,000 new employees by the end of this year to help build the network.

To find out more about these and other current employment opportunities at Verizon, prospective employees can visit the following Web site and create an on-line resume, apply for openings or set up an agent that can notify you when new jobs become available: www.verizon.com/careers.

* NOTE: Actual (throughput) speeds will vary.

With more than $71 billion in annual revenues, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon has a diverse work force of more than 210,000 in four business units: Domestic Telecom serves customers based in 29 states with wireline telecommunications services, including broadband, nationwide long-distance and other services. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 43.8 million voice and data customers across the United States. Information Services operates directory publishing businesses and provides electronic commerce services. International includes wireline and wireless operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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