More Eligible Consumers in Durham, N.C., Area Now Can Get Verizon’s Fastest DSL-Based Internet Service

High Speed Internet Service Offers Great Value With Reliable Downstream Speeds of up to 7 Megabits per Second.

DURHAM, N.C. - More Durham-area consumers now have another broadband option from Verizon, as the company expands its ultra-fast High Speed Internet service. It more than doubles the download speed of Verizon’s current fastest digital subscriber line, or DSL, service and provides an appealing alternative to cable Internet.

The company’s up to 7 megabits-per-second (Mbps) High Speed Internet service - priced as low as $42.99 a month when ordered with an annual service plan - now is available on nearly 32,000 consumer lines in the company’s Durham service area. This service gives Internet users the ability to download information at speeds up to 125 times faster than a 56 kilobits-per-second dial-up modem.

“Verizon 7 Megabit High Speed Internet is the way to go for qualifying residents in the Durham area who are looking for a better, more reliable alternative to high-priced cable Internet,” said Stan Pace, Verizon’s vice president of public affairs, policy and communications for North Carolina. “Our super-fast DSL provides all the speed you need for everything you do online - and at a more reasonable cost.”

Consumers can get more information on service availability, pricing and features by visiting www.verizon.com/highspeed or calling 1-800-567-6789.

About Verizon High Speed Internet

Verizon High Speed Internet service is delivered on a dedicated line from Verizon’s central office to the customer’s home and is backed by live, 24 x 7 customer service and technical support. High Speed Internet subscribers have access to an extensive collection of features and services, including:

* Online protection with Verizon Internet Security Suite - In one download, this comprehensive online protection suite provides anti-spyware, anti-virus, firewall, parental control, pop-up blocker and privacy manager protection that run continuously behind the scene. The suite automatically updates every three hours. Just set it and forget it. The cost is just $4.99 a month for use on up to three household computers.

* Verizon Enhanced Email - Expanded storage capacity - up to 4 gigabytes - lets customers store as much mail as they want for as long as they want on Verizon servers. Anywhere access - from your mobile phone to your home e-mail account - is easy, with select Get It Now-enabled phones from Verizon Wireless. Users can sign up for a complimentary rich Internet e-mail application to better organize their messages and contacts and send attachments of up to 25 megabytes.

* Verizon Premium Tech Support - A unique service that provides expert one-on-one assistance for a wide variety of issues like spyware, adware, viruses, hardware problems, computer operating systems and other issues not typically covered by Internet service providers. The service supports routers, network cards, video cards, sound cards, CD/DVD reader-writer, hard drives, flash memory systems, printers, scanners, gaming consoles, firewalls and more. The cost is $14.99 a month.

* Online gaming from Verizon - Play hundreds of the most popular PC games for free with Verizon Arcade, or choose from a variety of Verizon Games on Demand packages, including Family Place, a package that features more than 400 family-friendly casual games for just $7.99 a month.

* Free entertainment for children of all ages with Disney Connection - From activities, games and classic cartoons to movie previews, music videos and more, Disney Connection provides age-appropriate content for preschoolers, kids, teens and Disney enthusiasts. The content includes access to Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online and Disney Game Kingdom Online.

* Free news from ABC News Now - A 24-hour news and information channel, ABC News Now delivers live breaking news, headlines every half hour, and more than 25 original news, lifestyle and entertainment programs such as “Politics Live,” “What’s the Buzz” and “Money Matters.”

* Free sports from ESPN360 - The service offers programming that includes hundreds of hours of live games, analysis and exclusive content on-demand with exclusive access to the Internet’s best events.

* One-of-a-Kind NFL Experience Online - Customers who subscribe to Verizon High Speed Internet and DIRECTV from Verizon enjoy the added benefit of free access to NFL Network Game Extra, a unique service that includes live, online broadcasts of Thursday and Saturday pro football games. Viewers of the online broadcasts will have access to alternate camera angles and live audio feeds and have the ability to view one of four camera angles, or all four angles simultaneously. The online service can be accessed anywhere in the world through any broadband connected computer.