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Verizon Completes $100 Million Network Expansion Projects in Rhode Island

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 January 2009, 07:00 CST

Company's Investment Brings New Benefits - Including Expanded FiOS Products and Wireless Networks - to Consumers and Businesses

Verizon's World-Class Networks a Catalyst for Growth in the Ocean State

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers and businesses in Rhode Island are reaping the benefits of Verizon's $100 million network expansion and enhancement program in the state in 2008, as the company completes the program's wireline and wireless projects.

Verizon announced Tuesday (Jan. 13) that the following Ocean State initiatives have been completed:

• Expanding the company's revolutionary FiOS TV service to 12 more Rhode Island communities, bringing competition and choice for cable TV service. In 2008, FiOS TV arrived in Central Falls, Cranston, Foster, Glocester, Johnston, Lincoln, Narragansett, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, Smithfield and South Kingstown. Verizon is continuing to build its FiOS network in more Rhode Island communities in 2009.
• Bringing Verizon's High Speed Internet service at 7 Mbps (megabits per second) to seven Rhode Island communities: Cranston, Hope Valley, Jamestown, Narragansett, Pawtucket, Providence and Tiverton. The faster service now rivals traditional broadband service offered by cable companies, bringing more competition and lower prices.
• Investing in wireless networks across Rhode Island and New England. Verizon Wireless has invested more than $2.2 billion in its New England wireless network since 2000, including more than $100 million during the first six months of 2008. Every New England cell site of Verizon Wireless, the wireless carrier with America's largest 3G network, provides wireless broadband connectivity.
• Significantly enhancing FiOS TV offerings, adding more than 90 new channels -- including 71 more high-definition (HD) channels -- to the company's FiOS TV lineup in Rhode Island. As a result, FiOS TV now offers more than 500 total channels - featuring more than 100 HD channels, more HD than any local cable TV company, including Cox.
• Built and opened the new Verizon stores in Pawtucket and Smithfield, creating a number of new sales and customer service jobs.

"Verizon is a major investor in the Rhode Island economy, and we demonstrated that again in 2008," said Donna Cupelo, Verizon region president in New England. "We are focused on building the most advanced telecommunications network in the region. A world-class telecommunications infrastructure, one built on the most modern technology available in the world today, is vital to the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in Rhode Island and to the state's economy."

Ken Dixon, Verizon Wireless regional president for New England, said, "We continue to aggressively invest in our wireless network across Rhode Island and New England. Consumers and businesses depend on the reliability and convenience of our network, so we're constantly working to increase network coverage and capacity."

Verizon Wireless' network investment increased voice and data coverage for customers in Rhode Island and as they travel throughout New England. Verizon Wireless' 3G high-speed wireless data network, which covers more than 80 percent of the U.S. population, offers computer users the nation's most reliable high-speed wireless mobile broadband network. Data is transmitted at average upload speeds between 500 and 800 Kbps (kilobits per second), and download speeds between 600 Kbps and 1.4 Mbps over Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess with EV-DO Revision A network. V CAST brings video clips of TV shows, music on demand and other multimedia services to wireless phones.

Despite the economic downturn in the country, Rhode Island continues to be an important marketplace for Verizon's business. The company views the Ocean State as a region that continues to foster competition, economic development and the opportunity for significant capital investment.

With the state's concentration of health care, education, technology and financial services users, the company's technology investments are an important link to an improved economic climate and productivity enhancements across industries.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 80 million customers nationwide. Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 228,000 and in 2007 generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE Verizon

Source: PR Newswire

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