Verizon Offers Expanded Local Calling Plans to Customers in 26 Additional Indiana Communities

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- Verizon customers in 26 additional Indiana communities can now take advantage of three new optional calling plans that increase the number of communities they can call without paying long-distance charges.

The new calling plans are available to Verizon customers in Angola, Atwood, Bippus, Bourbon, Burket, Butler, Claypool, Fremont, Hamilton, Idaville, Markle, Mentone, Millwood, North Manchester, Orland, Ossian, Pleasant Lake, Pokagon, Reservoir, Sidney, Silver Lake, Tippecanoe, Uniondale, Wabash, Waterloo, and Zanesville.

"Verizon continues to enhance the value of our service," said Lori Macklin, director - Government and Regulatory Affairs for Verizon. "These new options give customers more flexibility to save money on calls they make to nearby communities."

Customers interested in the benefits of these new offerings may choose from three different plans to fit their particular calling needs.

• The Community Calling Plan enables customers to continue to place calls within their current local calling area at current flat rates and place calls to additional communities for seven cents per minute, instead of paying long-distance charges.

• The Community Plus Calling Plan expands the number of communities to which a customer can place calls for a flat monthly rate. Customers can also place calls to additional locations for seven cents per minute.

• The Premium Calling Plan is similar to the Community Plus Calling Plan, with an expanded number of communities included in a customer's local calling area. With the Premium Calling Plan, a block of calling time (15 hours for residential customers and 20 hours for business customers) applies for calls to additional exchanges. If customers use up their block of time, additional calls to those communities are seven cents per minute.

Verizon will mail customers complete details about the new calling plans. To subscribe to one of the new plans, customers should complete and return the form included with the mailing. Residential customers can also call 1-800-483-4000. Business customers can call Verizon at 1-800-483-5000.

Customers who do not select a plan will keep their current local service plan and pricing.

Verizon has increased availability of these expanded local calling plans to its Indiana customers over the past three years. The plans will be available to all Indiana customers by October 2002.

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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