Verizon Continues Aggressive Expansion of Broadband in Massachusetts

BOSTON - More consumers and businesses in more than 30 communities in Massachusetts can now enjoy the benefits of high-speed Internet access from Verizon.

In the third quarter of this year, Verizon Online introduced additional DSL availability in communities in Greater Boston, Cape Cod and Western Massachusetts, as well as in cities and towns north, south and west of Boston. The expansion over the past three months includes the increased presence of broadband in communities where DSL is already available to many customers.

With the majority of the company's switching centers in Massachusetts already set up to provide DSL, Verizon has focused its efforts on finding ways to expand broadband access even further. Today, that effort has paid off as DSL is available to an additional 66,000 customers in various urban and rural areas throughout the state including, Amesbury, Attleboro, Beverly, Boston, Braintree, Bridgewater, Canton, Franklin, Hopkinton, Harwich, Hyannis, Lawrence, Malden, Manomet, Marlboro, Milford, Needham, New Bedford, Northampton, Norwood, Pittsfield, Quincy, Rockland, Sagamore, Sharon, Walpole, Wareham, Wellesley, Weymouth, Wilmington, Winchester and Worcester.

"This expansion is part of our ongoing commitment to making high-speed Internet access available to as many Massachusetts residents and businesses as possible," said Donna Cupelo, president of Verizon Massachusetts. "If you've wanted DSL service from us in the past, but it wasn't in your neighborhood, now's the time to check with us on current availability."

The expansion is part of Verizon's previously announced plan to extend DSL to 10 million additional households and businesses. The increased availability in communities where DSL is already offered through central switching stations is made possible by placing sophisticated electronics in smaller sub-stations that serve neighborhoods.

DSL subscribers can have news in an instant, share digital photos, quickly send e-mail attachments, download movies, and play interactive multi-player games in real time. For businesses, DSL increases productivity by reducing the time it takes to do research and pay bill online and to e-mail orders to suppliers.

Not only is Verizon DSL available to more people than ever before, but also Verizon can help customers make the most of high-speed access to the Internet or other broadband services. For instance, Verizon Online sells and provides technical support for Linksys' wired and wireless routers for creating a home network. With a home network, customers can add additional security and connect several computers to one DSL connection to access the Internet at high speeds. A home network also lets subscribers share files and printers among several computers.

To order Verizon Online DSL or to check whether it is available to a specific home or business, local telephone customers should check online at www.verizon.net or call Verizon at 1-800-567-6789.

Currently, Verizon Online is offering its basic consumer DSL service for $34.95 a month. Special plans can save customers even more money if they buy DSL from Verizon as part of a package that includes local and long-distance phone service.

Verizon Communications

A Fortune 10 company, Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services, with approximately $67 billion in revenues and 221,000 employees. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with more than 139 million access line equivalents and 36 million Verizon Wireless customers. Verizon is the third largest long-distance carrier for U.S. consumers, with nearly 16 million long-distance lines. The company is also the largest directory publisher in the world, as measured by directory titles and circulation. Verizon's international presence includes wireline and wireless communications operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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