From Simple Needs to the Sublime, Verizon's New High Speed Internet Bundles Pack on the Value

NEW YORK, April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- New Verizon High Speed Internet customers can now build bundles to meet their home communications needs -- at some of the industry's most aggressive price points, with no contracts or early termination fees on Verizon's services.

The new pricing and treatment of HSI speed tiers is not a promotional offer; it represents a changed approach to structuring Verizon's copper-based bundles.  Effective immediately, Verizon's HSI bundles feature two double-play pricing tiers as their foundation.

The first tier includes one of two unlimited local and long-distance voice services and supports basic Internet tasks, using 500 kilobits per second (Kbps) to 1 megabit per second (Mbps) speeds for basic things like sending emails and photos or online shopping.  The second tier features the highest optimized speeds that customers qualify for between 1.1 Mbps and 15 Mbps for more advanced broadband needs like online gaming, uploading photos to the Web, and downloading movies and songs or other large files.  

Consumers can then combine any of the award-winning DIRECTV® packages to create triple plays, starting at $84.99 a month for 12 months after rebate with DIRECTV's current offer for an enhanced triple-play bundle with a CHOICE XTRA™ package or $59.99 a month for 12 months after rebate for a basic triple play with a CHOICE XTRA™ package.

"We've enhanced the value and simplified our HSI bundles by pricing them aggressively and removing any contract requirements and early termination fees for Verizon services going forward," said Eric Bruno, Verizon vice president of product management.  "With these refinements, our High Speed Internet service offers the best value in broadband."

Verizon's new Enhanced HSI bundles start with a combination of Freedom Essentials voice featuring unlimited local and long-distance plus six calling features and Enhanced HSI (either 1.1-3 Mbps, 3.1-7 Mbps or 7.1-15 Mbps, depending on the highest optimized speed customers qualify for).  The price is $59.99 per month.  Customers can then add a DIRECTV package to complete the bundle – for example, CHOICE XTRA™ (for a total of $84.99 per month), CHOICE XTRA™ with DVR service ($91.99), CHOICE ULTIMATE™ with DVR and HD ($106.99) and more.  All DIRECTV prices are good for 12 months after rebate.

The basic HSI bundle starts with Regional Essentials voice featuring unlimited local and toll service plus three calling features and Basic HSI (500 Kbps to 1 Mbps) for $34.99 per month.  Just as with the enhanced bundles, customers can then add the DIRECTV package of their choice to complete the triple play (ranging in price from $59.99 to $81.99 per month for 12 months after rebate, using the examples above).  

When adding new DIRECTV services to a Verizon bundle, a two-year DIRECTV agreement and early cancellation fees apply.  

Consumers who order a bundle online will save $5 per month and receive a free wireless router.  Consumers who order stand-alone HSI service online can also save $5 per month, lowering the basic HSI offer to $14.99 per month with a qualifying voice package.

Either Freedom or Regional Essentials can be substituted in any bundle, with bundle pricing going up or down to reflect that substitution.  All bundles feature up to 4 gigabytes of online storage, nine email accounts per household, 10 megabytes of personal Web space to accommodate a blog or Web page, award-winning online support and round-the-clock phone support.  

Additionally, customers who order an Enhanced HSI bundle have access to Verizon Wi-Fi at no additional charge, allowing them to connect to Wi-Fi hot spots offering access in airports, hotels, bookstores, coffee shops and more.

Verizon also provides its residential customers with access to an industry-leading inventory of service tools via the company's intelligent networks, creating multiple options for consumers and allowing them to choose how, when and where they want service access.  

For the latest news, updates and information about Verizon and its services, visit www.verizon.com/newscenter, or http://www.verizon.com/athomeblog.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE,NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 94.1 million customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 194,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon