Verizon Revolutionizes Communications Service for Consumers With One Package, One Call, One Bill for Local, Long-Distance, DSL and Wireless

NEW YORK, NY — Verizon Communications today revolutionized the consumer communications market, announcing a comprehensive package of services -- local phone services, long-distance, regional toll, DSL and wireless -- all from Verizon, available with one call, and all on one bill.

Verizon's offer of a comprehensive package and fully integrated billing is unique among its competitors, including long-distance carriers, competitive local exchange carriers and cable TV companies. The package, called "Veriationssm All," is the newest of Verizon's "Veriations " series of service packages. It gives consumers the ease of one point of contact for all their telecommunications services and the added value of package pricing.

"Our Veriations All plan is bigger than MCI's Neighborhood and more unlimited than AT&T's Unlimited. It's the only package our customers can get from a single supplier with a single bill, and the only package to wipe away distinctions between wireless and wireline calling," said Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon CEO.

Effective today, the ultimate consumer telecommunications package, Veriations All, is available in Massachusetts and New York. In September, the package will be available in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The rollout will continue into 2003.

Premium Package of Services with Value and Simplicity for Consumers

Veriations All offers consumers the best of what Verizon has to offer in one package, on one bill. Veriations All includes:

• Unlimited Verizon DSL (digital subscriber line), high-speed Internet access from Verizon Online;

• Verizon Wireless service with unlimited night and weekend calling, 300 minutes of nationwide calling, anytime, and 1,000 mobile-to-mobile minutes, all on the America's Choice Network.

• Verizon Long Distance with unlimited direct-dialed domestic calling nights and weekends and 300 minutes of direct dialed nationwide domestic calling, anytime;

• Unlimited Verizon local and regional toll calling with premium services like Home Voice Mail, Caller ID, Call Waiting, and Three-Way Calling.

For more details, see the Veriations All press kit

"Veriations All integrates services, ordering and billing in a great new way," said Maura Breen, Verizon senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "Our new Veriations package gives customers the top items on their communications wish list -- one-stop shopping for all of their communications and a single bill.

"Consumers no longer have to choose between making a call on their wireless phone or their wired phone. And with identical long-distance calling plans for both wireless and wireline calls, consumers can choose the most convenient way to call, instead of according to the cost," said Breen.

"Verizon has taken a significant step forward by offering in one package both traditional long-distance and wireless calling plans that mirror each other," said Amy Harris, program manager, broadband markets and technologies, for industry analyst firm IDC. "They are the first to do this, and I think it will blur the distinction between the two phones so customers feel free to use which ever phone best suits their needs when making a call. This positions Verizon well for the increasingly intense competition for telecom consumers."

With the Veriations All package, consumers save as much as a third off the regular price of the individual services and they save time with the convenience of one-stop shopping. The annual saving is $250 a year for the long distance, wireless and DSL components. Savings can exceed $800 per year when local services are included. Savings vary by state. (See related chart for details.)

"Verizon is the only company that could put together a premium package as comprehensive as Veriations All," Seidenberg said. "We brought together the right resources through strategic mergers in both wireline and wireless, giving us a great customer base. We have made the necessary technology investments to provide DSL, wireless, regional toll, long distance and integrated billing. We support our products with superior customer service from a top-rated, reliable company."

Veriations All meets both the needs and expectations of consumers, Breen said. According to recent Verizon marketing research, 79 percent of consumers identified one-stop shopping and a single bill as the most important feature of a telecommunications package.

Consumers already are enthusiastic about other Veriations offerings that allow customers to assemble packages of services based on their needs, she said. For example, one Veriations bundle, which included a discount on DSL, increased daily DSL sales dramatically. Now consumers can mix and match local services, toll calling, long-distance, Internet access and wireless calling.

"The Veriations package allows consumers to tailor a bundle to whatever best meets their needs. If Veriations All is more than a consumer requires, they can choose a customized bundle that works for them. Veriations provides the flexibility to be responsive to all consumers," said Breen.

Advertising for Veriations All begins today in Massachusetts and New York. The television commercials feature a rendition of The Beatles' song "All Together Now." (See related news release, "Verizon Launches Advertising for Innovative 'Veriations' Package of All Communications Services.")

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 135.1 million access line equivalents and 30.3 million Verizon Wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and approximately 241,000 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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