Verizon Deploys Fiber Optics, Electronics To Better Serve Customers in Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Verizon customers in Syracuse will benefit from the company's $1.1 million expansion and modernization of its local telecommunications network.

Verizon is installing about 900 miles of fiber-optic cable and electronic equipment to provide state-of-the-art communications systems for business customers in Syracuse. The fiber-optic systems will provide high-speed data connections and higher quality voice communication services for the commercial customers.

In addition, Verizon also is upgrading and installing new air-pressure technology on underground cable systems to reduce service interruptions. Air-pressure monitoring equipment will be installed on underground cables throughout the city during the summer.

"As a community which understands that telecommunications and economic development go hand in hand, we applaud this investment by Verizon," said Syracuse Chamber of Commerce President David Cordeau. "The company's commitment to the region reinforces our initiatives in business attraction and retention and helps Central New York in solidifying its competitive position."

Installation of new fiber and the air pressure technology began this spring and will be completed before the end of the year.

"We continue to upgrade our network to provide customers across the Empire State with high-speed access to the Internet, work-at-home capabilities, as well as a host of other innovative advanced services," said Paul A. Crotty, president of Verizon New York.

"These projects highlight Verizon's continued commitment to improving and expanding its network in Central New York," said Crotty. "Whether deploying new fiber-optic systems or offering popular calling features and new, innovative local and long-distance calling plans, Verizon is helping consumers and businesses make progress every day."

Crotty said Verizon has made major strides in deploying advanced technology in its New York network:

• Annual spending on Verizon's New York network topped $2 billion in 2001. The company's infrastructure investments since 1995 now total more than $10.2 billion.

• Miles of fiber-optic cable in New York increased to more than 1.4 million in 2001, up from about 715,000 in 1995.

• All 586 Verizon call-routing centers throughout the state use the latest digital technology systems.

• Verizon Online DSL (digital subscriber line) was launched in New York in the summer of 1999. DSL is a high-speed connection to the Internet that enables users to connect to cyberspace at speeds significantly faster than today's fastest analog modems. Today, Verizon has more than 1.2 million DSL lines in service nationwide.

"Verizon is keeping its commitment to New York," Crotty said. "We are building and enhancing a public telecommunications network that is the finest in the world and is a vital part of the Empire State's economic infrastructure."

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 133.8 million access line equivalents and approximately 29.6 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and nearly 248,000 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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