Verizon Online DSL is a Best Buy

NEW YORK - Shoppers can now sign up for Verizon's super-fast Internet access at a bargain rate of $39.95 a month and pick up everything they need, including an installation kit at select Best Buy* stores. Better yet, the first month of service is free.

Verizon Online DSL (digital subscriber line) high-speed Internet access service and do-it-yourself installation kits are available starting today at 93 Best Buy stores in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions.

Shoppers at these Best Buy stores can go to special interactive broadband kiosks right in the store to determine if Verizon Online DSL is available on their home telephone lines, to ask questions and to sign up for the service. Consumers can pick up a Verizon Online DSL installation kit, complete with a Westell WireSpeed** DSL modem from a nearby Best Buy store shelf.

"Now, at Best Buy, ordering DSL and getting an installation kit is as simple as picking up a PC or a CD," said Brian Price, group manager-new channel strategy and development for Verizon. "Since consumers already shop for consumer equipment at Best Buy, making DSL available in these stores just makes good sense. And consumers who buy Verizon Online's service and a do-it-yourself installation kit at Best Buy get a great bargain. The first month of service is free and afterwards the rate is a low $39.95 a month."

"More and more of our new PC and laptop customers want to maximize their computers and home networking products with DSL's faster speeds," said Mark Jansa, director of Internet Services for Best Buy. "Our interactive broadband kiosks help customers sign up for the service that fits their Internet surfing needs. We know that our customers look to us for advice and with our range of service offerings, we'll be able to help them find the best broadband fit right there in the store."

"Westell's modems were singled out for their reliability and quality by market researchers Frost and Sullivan last year," said Brian G. Powers, vice president, marketing for Westell. "Working with Verizon and Best Buy will help us to meet America's need for speed and make lightning-fast DSL more accessible."

Choice of Plans from Verizon Online DSL

New Verizon Online residential customers can choose from two service plans available at participating Best Buy stores. Under the first plan, customers who buy a do-it-yourself installation and modem kit for $129.99, before rebate, and order Verizon Online's basic DSL service in the store, get their first month of service free and then pay $39.95 a month, a $10 discount.

Westell, Verizon Online's DSL modem provider, is offering a $30 rebate on the modem kit, lowering the overall price to $99.99.

The second plan lets customers order Verizon Online DSL service in the store and have a free Verizon Online DSL installation kit shipped to their home. The cost for this plan is $29.95 for the first three months and then $49.95 a month thereafter.

Both plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Verizon can activate service on a customer's home phone line in about five business days after an order is placed. There is no annual commitment required but Verizon Online terms of service apply.

The basic plan offers maximum Internet connection speeds of 768k (kilobits per second) downstream and 128k upstream, which is much faster than normal dial-up speeds. The service comes with unlimited DSL Internet access, four e-mail accounts and 10 megabytes of storage space.

Participating Best Buy Stores

Consumers can shop for Verizon Online DSL service at select Best Buy stores in Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. Shoppers can find the closest Best Buy store by going online at www.bestbuy.com/storelocator or by calling 1-888-BESTBUY. By calling the closest store, shoppers can find out if that store is selling Verizon Online DSL service.

Verizon has more than 1.35 million DSL lines in service in 31 states and the District of Columbia, making it one of the nation's largest DSL service providers.

Best Buy Co., Inc.

Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is North America's number one specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances. The company operates retail stores and commercial Web sites under the names: Best Buy (BestBuy.com), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Magnolia Hi-Fi (MagnoliaHiFi.com), Media Play (MediaPlay.com), On Cue (OnCue.com), Sam Goody (SamGoody.com), and Suncoast (Suncoast.com). The company reaches consumers through more than 1,900 retail stores in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information on Best Buy, visit our virtual pressroom at http://onlinepressroom.net/bestbuy.

Westell

Westell Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTL) headquartered in Aurora, Ill. is a broadband access solutions company that provides leading broadband products, service solutions and conferencing solutions for carriers, services providers and businesses enterprises around the world. Westell delivers innovative, open broadband solutions that meet our customers' needs for fast and seamless broadband connection. Conference Plus, a Westell subsidiary, offers conferencing services including voice, video and IP data conferencing, to carriers and multi-national corporations throughout the world. For more information visit www.westell.com.

Verizon Communications Inc.

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.

####

*Best Buy is a registered trademark of Best Buy Co., Inc.
**WireSpeed is a trademark of Westell Technologies, Inc.

Media contact:

Briana Gowing, Verizon , 972-718-6202
Mollie Juelich, Best Buy, 952-947-2815
Ken Trantowski, KGT Communications Group for Westell, 630-469-8765