Verizon Introduces Affordable High-Speed Internet Access to West Virginia's Gauley Bridge, Walton Areas

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Eligible consumers and businesses in two more communities in West Virginia can experience broadband Internet speeds at dial-up prices, now that Verizon has expanded the availability of its digital subscriber line (DSL) service in the Gauley Bridge and Walton areas.

Due to recent upgrades to Verizon's telephone switching centers in those areas, DSL will be available to customers who live within about three miles of the switching center locations.  The switching centers are two of the remaining 15 across the state that Verizon is upgrading for DSL service by the end of this year or early 2007.

Eligible Verizon residential customers can subscribe to DSL for as little as $21.99 per month and bundle it with a Verizon Freedom calling plan and DIRECTV service, giving them unlimited use of their telephone, high-speed Internet access and in-home video service at a discounted price.

"Our DSL customers can experience the Internet as never before to listen to music, play games, watch streaming video, shop and work from home," said Cavendish. "Our investment in this expansion underscores Verizon's ongoing commitment to our network and West Virginia's broadband future."

With more than 80 percent of its customers located in small towns and rural communities, Verizon West Virginia has been the state's leading provider of broadband Internet access in rural areas; DSL is now available at more than 227 locations across the Mountain State.  Verizon plans to expand the availability of DSL to nearly 350 communities across the state by early next year, with additional DSL deployment planned throughout 2007.

Verizon Freedom Essentials offers unlimited local, regional and domestic long-distance calling with the three most popular calling features - Home Voice Mail, Call Waiting and Caller ID - for as little as $49.99 a month.  Verizon Freedom Value, offering any-distance, unlimited domestic calling but no calling features, costs $44.99 and is the company's lowest-priced any-distance calling plan in West Virginia.  Verizon customers can combine either of these plans with the company's DSL service and entertainment services from DIRECTV, enabling them to receive all their home communications needs in one package.

Verizon offers two high-speed DSL Internet service plans to qualifying consumers: one with maximum connection speeds of up to 768 Kbps (kilobits per second) downstream and 128 Kbps upstream, and another with maximum connection speeds of up to 3.0 Mbps (megabits per second) downstream and 768 kbps upstream.*  Verizon also offers DSL plans for business customers.

The DIRECTV Total Choice package offers more than 155 channels of 100 percent digital video and music programming, providing a higher-quality picture and sound than cable's older analog signals.  The package also offers the ability to add advanced services such as video recorders, interactivity and high-definition programming.  Customers with a qualifying local service package and DIRECTV service can get bundle discounts and a single bill for calling, Internet and entertainment services.

* NOTE: Actual (throughput) speeds will vary.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), a New York-based Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 57 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which operates one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks, and Verizon Telecom, which is deploying the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network to deliver the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services to customers.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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