Verizon Offers New, Entry-Level Consumer DSL Service for $14.95 a Month

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Service Includes Features and Content of Verizon’s Higher-Speed DSL Plans, Including Option to Choose New Verizon Yahoo! for DSL Service Introduced Today

August 23, 2005

Media contact:
Bobbi Henson, 972-718-2225


NEW YORK –-Making it easier for people to experience the benefits of broadband Internet access, Verizon today introduced a new high-speed consumer DSL service that’s priced lower than many dial-up plans. With the new service, qualified customers get a maximum connection speed of up to 768 kilobits per second (Kbps) downstream and 128 Kbps upstream for just $14.95 a month with an annual service agreement, plus all the features and applications enjoyed by subscribers to Verizon’s higher-speed consumer DSL services.

"We’re breaking down the price barrier for people who want high-speed Internet service, but have not had a place for it in their budgets," said Bob Ingalls, president of Verizon’s Retail Markets Group. "With speed that’s faster than dial-up, and at a price that’s lower than many dial-up service plans, our new service will promote the use of broadband, attract more subscribers to Verizon DSL and further increase our competitiveness with cable modem service providers."

Introduction of this new offering reflects recent FCC decisions that provide greater certainty about the regulatory environment for broadband services.

The new service is offered today to qualified customers who call 866-232-2831. It will also be available online at
www.verizon.net

on Aug. 24.

"Once a household experiences the benefits of broadband, they begin to want an even richer, more productive online experience," Ingalls said. "We’re confident that many of the new customers we attract to our basic DSL service today will be our higher-speed DSL and fiber-based FiOS broadband subscribers in the future."

Verizon’s unique alliances with the industry’s most innovative content providers give Verizon DSL subscribers the ability to choose the online experience that best fits their needs.

The company today joined with Yahoo! to announce the launch of Verizon Yahoo! for DSL service. The new service includes premium Yahoo!® features valued at over $200 a year at no additional charge, including premium e-mail, 100 MB (megabytes) of storage, an all-in-one security suite and commercial-free LAUNCHcast Radio service.

"Our new DSL service and our alliance with Yahoo! reflect our commitment to offering Verizon broadband customers real choices and exceptional value," said Ingalls. "From the busy small business that shares large documents, to the young adult who enjoys online games, to the grandparents who enrich their e-mails with photos – Verizon offers a range of great speeds, affordable prices and superior content and services to meet every need."

Verizon already offers Verizon Online DSL service to qualifying consumers with maximum connection speeds of up to 3.0 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 768 Kbps upstream for as low as $19.95 a month for the first three months and $29.95 a month thereafter when purchased with an annual service agreement or in combination with a qualifying package of calling services from Verizon.

Business DSL plans are also available with both dynamic and static IP addresses, and maximum connection speeds of up to 768 Kbps/128 Kbps, 3.0 Mbps/768 Kbps, or 7.1 Mbps/768 Kbps, ranging in price from as low as $24.95 a month to $244.95 a month. Businesses can call 1-888-649-9500 to order these services.

The company offers three tiers of Verizon FiOS Internet Service for consumers. These fiber-optic based services come with downstream/upstream speeds of up to 5 Mbps/2 Mbps, 15 Mbps/2 Mbps and 30 Mbps/5 Mbps priced at $34.95, $44.95 and $179.95 a month, respectively, when purchased as part of a calling package from Verizon. Information about FiOS availability and service-ordering is available at
www.verizon.com/fios


.

All Verizon Online DSL service for consumers includes round-the-clock, live technical support, nine e-mail boxes, 10 MB of personal Web space equipped with Verizon’s exclusive Site Builder tool, access to the world of online games from Wild Tangent and RealArcade, and other multimedia content and services.

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 214,000 in four business units: Domestic Telecom provides customers based in 28 states with wireline and other telecommunications services, including broadband. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation’s most reliable wireless network, serving 47.4 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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http://newscenter.verizon.com/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=92802&PROACTIVE_ID=cecdc8ccc6c8cfc7c9c5cecfcfcfc5cecec7c8c6cecccbc7ccc5cf

[Stargazer]

Does this mean that the new slower service that will be offered for $14.95 will be offered to those that could not get DSL before at the faster DSL speeds? I was told by Verizon that they could not offer slower service for the same price because by law everyone had to get the same service for the same price. By doing this wouldn't they be able to reach out farther such as twice the distance or so from the central office to those that can only get dialup right now? This would be a great service to them as it would be cheaper or same price as many of them with faster service.