Port Washington Resident to Head Federal Group that Promotes Affordable Local Phone Service

NEW YORK -- The Universal Service Administration Company (USAC) has re-elected Port Washington resident Frank Gumper as chairman of its

board. Gumper is vice president of public policy development for Verizon Communications, the nation's largest phone company.

USAC is a non-profit corporation that collects funds paid by telephone customers nationwide and redistributes them to local phone companies that serve

rural and low-income areas where the cost of providing phone service is high. The local companies, in turn, provide monthly credits to customers, thus lowering

their phone bills. Last year, the corporation disbursed $4.4 billion within its four target areas: high cost, low income, rural health care and schools and libraries.

The schools and libraries program includes the national e-rate fund, which provides grants to pay for wiring and high speed access to the Internet. Last year, the corporation committed $2.1 billion to the e-rate program.

"We have a strong and active board dedicated to making affordable phone service available to everyone," said Gumper.

Gumper previously served on the board of the Schools and Library Corporation before it merged with USAC. He currently represents Verizon on the United

States Telecommunications Association's Regulatory Policy Committee and on the Advisory Board at Columbia University's Institute for Tele-Information.

Gumper earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Arts degree in geophysics from Columbia University.

Gumper is a 29-year veteran of the telecommunications industry who began his career with New York Telephone. He worked in various regulatory and business

research positions for the former NYNEX and Bell Atlantic companies before being named to his present position at Verizon.

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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 nearly 109 million access line equivalents and more than 27.5 million wireless customers. Verizon

is also the world's largest provider of print and online directory information. A Fortune 10 company with approximately 260,000 employees and more than $63

billion in annual revenues, Verizon's global presence extends to 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon,

visit www.verizon.com.

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