DIRECTV Entertainment Package Now In 415,000 Verizon Customers' Homes

DIRECTV Entertainment Package Now In 415,000 Verizon Customers' Homes

All-Digital Service Beats Cable on Value; Gives Calling and Data Customers a Triple-Play Option for as Little as $91 a Month

NEW YORK, June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon voice and Internet customers who have had it with cable companies continue to complete their service "triple play" by choosing to bundle DIRECTV all-digital entertainment with their Verizon calling and DSL services, creating one of the best values in telecommunications today.

More than 415,000 Verizon homes now get DIRECTV service, saving as much as $60 a month or more off the non-promotional prices of competing bundles from cable. Verizon reported recently that more than 66,000 Verizon customers discovered the value of the bundle in the first three months of this year.

"We're finding that customers who try DIRECTV love it, not only for the quality of the all-digital picture and the unique sports programming, but because when they bundle it with a Verizon Freedom calling plan and Verizon Online DSL, they get the best value in the marketplace today," said Bob Ingalls, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon.

DIRECTV is available to Verizon customers in all its 28 states and the District of Columbia. When packaged with a calling plan and DSL, the overall cost of the package can be as much as $16 off list prices and bests most non- promotional prices for cable service bundles.

"Our new TV commercials about the young men doing a documentary on why customers choose Verizon drive home the value of a bundle with DIRECTV," Ingalls said. "The commercials boldly remind customers that we offer calling, Internet and TV."

DIRECTV, the nation's leading digital television service, recently received the highest score for customer satisfaction among satellite and cable TV companies rated by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Of the satellite and cable TV companies included in the ACSI survey, DIRECTV posted a significantly higher index score (71) than any other cable or satellite company.

Verizon and DIRECTV signed a marketing agreement two years ago, and Verizon customer service representatives have been vigorously promoting the "triple play" when customers call for voice or Internet service. According to Ingalls, having DIRECTV as an entertainment option is proving very valuable to calling and Internet customers. Although Verizon is building a new all-fiber- optic network of its own and can offer Verizon FiOS TV over that network, the DIRECTV choice remains a popular one for customers and gives them a great alternative to cable in areas where FiOS is not available.

Verizon's best offer for a "triple play" is available in New York and New Jersey, where a Freedom unlimited any-distance calling plan, DSL at 768 Kbps (kilobits per second) and DIRECTV's TOTAL CHOICE(R) PLUS programming package are available for as little as $90.93 a month. Bundle prices are not promotional and do not balloon after a fixed period, like some cable companies' $30-$30-$30 promotional bundles designed to attract customers below the $100 price benchmark. "Our customers love DIRECTV and they love our Freedom calling plans and Internet speed choices, as well," Ingalls said. "They can assemble a bundle that fits their lifestyle and price target, choosing from as many as five Freedom plans, five Internet plans and several DIRECTV and FiOS entertainment plans. That's customized service."

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), a Dow 30 company, 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 53 million customers nationwide. Verizon Business operates one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks. Verizon Telecom is deploying the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network to deliver the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services to customers. Based in New York, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 250,000 and generates annual consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 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

CONTACT: Jim Smith, +1-908-559-3477, james.albert.smith@verizon.com

Web site: http://www.verizon.com/

Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/618232.html

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