Wins Prestigious 'Best in Business' Award From the Leading Authority on
                              Carrier Ethernet

    BASKING RIDGE, N.J., June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Business has been
selected by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) as the industry leader in
Carrier Ethernet services on the strength of its extensive portfolio, broad
geographic coverage, strong value proposition for enterprise customers and
business growth. Verizon Business was one of ten finalists vying for the
U.S. Ethernet Service Provider of the Year -- Best in Business award by the
MEF, the foremost standards-setting authority on Carrier Ethernet services.
    "This award recognizes our position as the leader in this high-growth
area of the telecommunications market," said Tom Roche, vice president of
advanced data services for Verizon Business. "We have been strategically
developing our Ethernet services to be able to offer our customers
leading-edge Ethernet solutions. Verizon Business has been a pioneer in the
Ethernet market, and we fully intend to continue to lead this segment of
the industry."
    Verizon Business accepted the Best in Business award at an
MEF-sponsored reception Tuesday (June 6) at GlobalComm 2006 in Chicago.
Verizon Business was also awarded certification by the MEF in April for its
complete suite of global Carrier Ethernet services. As a leading provider
of these services, Verizon Business was among the first providers to
receive certification for adopting global Ethernet interoperability
standards as defined by the MEF.
    "Verizon Business has earned this recognition for its superb marketing
and integration of services post-merger, its customer base growth and for
the leadership role it has taken with the MEF," said MEF President Nan Chen
following the awards ceremony.
    Verizon Business' Ethernet portfolio includes Ethernet Private Line
(EPL) and Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL), which provide service in
145 metro markets in the United States and in nine European countries, as
well as between the United States and Europe; E-LAN Services with 53 metro
markets in the United States; and Ethernet Access for Private IP and the
Internet throughout the United States, in 19 European countries and in
seven countries within the Asia-Pacific region.
    Customers have the option of using Ethernet services either as a stand-
alone in the United States and Europe, or as a means of quickly and easily
accessing the Internet or Private IP -- Verizon Business' MPLS-based
virtual private network (VPN) offering and its fastest-growing service in
the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
    About Verizon Business
    Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is a
leading provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT)
solutions to large business and government customers worldwide. Combining
unsurpassed global network reach with advanced technology and professional
service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless
business solutions to customers around the world. For more information,
visit http://www.verizonbusiness.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
http://www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News
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releases.

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http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/094251.html/
CONTACT:
Maria Montenegro, +1-703-886-6063,
Maria.montenegro@verizon.com, for Verizon Business

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