CASHIERS, N.C., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Approximately 2,600 additional customers in the Cashiers area of western North Carolina can now order Verizon's High Speed Internet service for their computers at home or at work. When additional engineering is completed, scheduled for late February, 750 additional customers in the area will also be able to get High Speed Internet (formerly known as DSL).

Since June 2006, Verizon has invested nearly $1.5 million for High Speed Internet expansion in western North Carolina, broadening the service to more than 13,000 additional customers.

"Customers in western North Carolina have asked for more High Speed Internet, and we've listened," said Suri Surinder, Verizon's senior vice president and general manager, Southeast region. "The speed and efficiency of Verizon's broadband service often changes the way people shop, work and educate themselves. With today's announcement, more qualifying customers in this region can enjoy the Internet world in the best way possible: through a Verizon broadband connection."

Qualified customers in the following locations can now order broadband connections at up to 3 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and up to 356 kilobits per second (Kbps) upstream: areas of the Glenville community; parts of Sapphire Valley near the Transylvania county line and the community of Holly Forest; communities around Eagle Ridge, including Trays Island, Bald Rock and Sapphire Mountain; the Marion area of Glenwood Province; parts of Sevier and Woodlawn; and the Cullowhee area of Canada.

By late February, additional qualifying customers in areas of Sapphire and Grandview will also gain access to Verizon High Speed Internet.

The price for the service in western North Carolina is $29.99 per month with a one-year contract. Promotions also affect pricing. For example, customers can bundle 3.0 Mbps service with unlimited local and long-distance calling and DIRECTV for $104.99 per month (with a one-year contract) - and receive either an RCA Small Wonder digital camcorder or a $50 Best Buy gift certificate (until Feb. 3). Double-play bundles for unlimited local and long- distance calling and High Speed Internet are also offered, as are quadruple- play deals that add Verizon Wireless service to the bundle.

Consumers can get more information on service availability, pricing and features by calling 877-483-5898 or visiting Verizon.com/highspeed.

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:

    -- 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.
    -- 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 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 and firewalls and more.  The cost is $9.99 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.

Verizon Communications Inc. 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 63.7 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 has a diverse workforce of nearly 238,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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Source: Verizon