Verizon Tops in Broadband Satisfaction According to Yankee Group Study of Small Businesses

NEW YORK - Small and medium-sized businesses that use broadband services have rated Verizon number one in customer satisfaction, according to a Yankee Group study released this month. In the report, Verizon led other broadband providers in several categories including reliability, installation, monthly bill quality and accuracy, and customer service. These factors were each cited as important to small and medium-sized businesses when making broadband purchase decisions.

"This ranking reflects a customer-satisfaction strategy at work," said John Wimsatt, vice president for business marketing for Verizon. We are trying to create for small and medium businesses the best value in broadband.

"It's not enough to compete on price alone in this market," he said. "We work hard to ensure our customer experience is top-notch from beginning to end, that we have the right products to meet customer needs as they evolve, and that we have a reliable network to support their applications -- all at a price that won't hamper their growth."

Released this month from Yankee Group, this is the latest in a series of reports probing small and medium-sized business strategies based on Yankee's 2003 SMB Broadband Survey that examined the opportunities and challenges faced by various broadband providers.

More and more small businesses are migrating from dial-up access to broadband. According to Steve Hilton, author of the report for Yankee Group, the migration from narrowband to broadband services is one of the most important decisions for small and medium-sized businesses.

"The study shows that customer satisfaction increasingly plays an important role for small and medium-sized businesses, and Verizon seems to be in touch with these needs," said Hilton.

Wimsatt said, "Verizon offers these businesses a clear migration strategy, such that we can support their needs with the right technology as their needs become more complex. In fact, more and more of our customers are seeking converged solutions that include voice and data solutions that meet unique requirements."

Verizon's broadband offerings range from the entry level DSL services to frame relay to T-1 and beyond, to ATM and virtual private network services, and also t meet tangential needs for data security and Web hosting. Small and medium-sized business customers can opt for bundled packages that include dial tone, custom calling features, long-distance services and broadband at deep discounts.

More information on Verizon's broadband services for small and medium-sized businesses can be found at www.verizon.com/data or by contacting a local Verizon sales associate.

Verizon Communications

A Dow 30 company, Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services, with approximately $68 billion in annual revenues. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world, as measured by directory titles and circulation. Verizon's international presence includes wireline and wireless communications operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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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.