New Jersey, Pennsylvania Consumers Next to Get It 'All Together Now'

NEW YORK -- Starting today, the airwaves across New Jersey and Pennsylvania will bop to the sound of the Beatles toe-tapper "All Together Now," alerting consumers that their dream has come true: Verizon's revolutionary package of consumer services -- local phone services, long-distance, regional toll, DSL and wireless -- is available now.

For the first time, consumers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania can receive all of these services in one easy-to-manage package, all from Verizon, available with one call, all on one bill and at a discount of about a third off the list prices of the services.

The package, called "Veriations All," is the newest of Verizon's Veriations service packages. Veriations All was first launched in Massachusetts and New York on Aug. 6. Sales of the packaged services are significantly exceeding sales projections in both states. Sales are so brisk, Verizon had to double the staff taking phone orders for the package.

The combination of all local and long-distance calling services plus high-speed Internet access and wireless calling and a single bill is first-ever innovation for Verizon. Veriations All gives consumers the ease of a single call to order all their telecommunications services and the added value of package pricing, saving consumers about one-third off the total list price of the individual services if purchased separately.

"In less than two months, consumers in New York and Massachusetts have proven what market research has been saying for years -- offer consumers one bill and one source for all of their telecommunications services and you've delivered what they want," said Maura Breen, Verizon senior vice president and chief marketing officer.

With the addition today of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Veriations All now is available to more than half of Verizon's residential customers.

A recent independent survey by Horowitz Associates, Inc., cited in The New York Times found that 67 percent of consumers are willing to get bundled services from one provider if they are offered a 10 percent discount off their current total monthly bill. Even with no discount, half of the consumers surveyed said they are willing to get bundled services.

According to the Yankee Group's Technologically Advanced Family* survey, "Consumers want increasingly sophisticated communications services, and more importantly, a simpler way to buy and manage them," said Meredith Rosenberg, vice president of the Yankee Group's consumer communications and media practice. "Verizon's Veriations package answers demand for a seamless voice offer, and delivers what consumers repeatedly ask of their service providers: a single bill and single point of contact. Additionally, Veriations does reach those higher value customers who demand a high speed product."

With the Veriations All package, the annual savings are $250 a year for long distance, wireless and DSL alone. Savings can exceed $800 per year when local services are included. Savings vary by state.

Verizon's offer of a comprehensive package and one bill for all services is unique among its competitors, including long-distance companies, competitive local exchange carriers and cable TV companies. Others have various elements of the package, but none offers the comprehensive bundle in Verizon's markets.

Value and Simplicity for Consumers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Veriations All includes:

• Unlimited Verizon DSL (digital subscriber line) high-speed Internet access;

• Verizon Wireless service with unlimited night and weekend calling and 300 minutes of nationwide calling, anytime, on the America's Choice Network;

• Verizon Long Distance with unlimited direct-dialed domestic calling nights and weekends and 300 minutes of direct-dialed domestic nationwide calling, anytime;

• Unlimited Verizon local and regional toll calling plus call management services like Home Voice Mail, Caller ID, Call Waiting and Three-Way Calling.

Customers must subscribe to Verizon's Local Package Plus plan to qualify for the maximum savings offer.

"Consumers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania can now pick up any phone -- wireless or wired -- and make a call from matching long-distance calling plans. Gone are the days of evaluating the cost of a call. Consumers can now choose the phone that's the most convenient to use," said Dan Whelan, president of Verizon-Pennsylvania.

Dennis M. Bone, president of Verizon New Jersey, said, "The strength of our network and the quality of our customer service provides the foundation for Veriations All. Consumers have the convenience of one-stop shopping, the value of a discounted package and the reliability of the Verizon name. Consumers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania never had it so good."

Consumers can tailor a Veriations bundle to best meet their needs. For example, if consumers do not need DSL, they can build a package that includes local, long-distance and wireless services but select dial-up Internet access instead of DSL. Different local, regional toll, long-distance and wireless offers also can be substituted. Savings vary depending on the package selected.

Advertising for Veriations All begins today in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The television commercials feature a rendition of the Beatles' song "All Together Now," touting the realization of the consumer's dream of an integrated services package.

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 135.1 million access line equivalents and 30.3 million Verizon Wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and approximately 241,000 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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* Trademark of the Yankee Group

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