Verizon Invested Nearly $608 Million in Its Wireline Communications, IT Infrastructure in Maryland and the Nation's Capital in 2011

BALTIMORE, Md., Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As one of the largest investors each year in the economy and infrastructure in Maryland and the District of Columbia, Verizon continued to bring communications and computing innovation to the area's consumers and businesses in 2011. 

During the year, the company invested nearly $608 million in its wireline communications networks and information technology (IT) infrastructure in Maryland and the District. 

"For decades, Verizon has been a leading player in Maryland and D.C., helping to fuel the region's sustained economic development through aggressive investment in the latest technology for both consumers and businesses," said Karen I. Campbell, Verizon's vice president of government affairs – Mid-Atlantic region.  "From the smallest home to the largest business, Verizon's networks and technology touch lives by enabling commerce to thrive, businesses to innovate, students to learn and people to stay connected."

"No other company is as interwoven with daily life in Maryland and D.C. as Verizon," Campbell added.  "And few companies invest in the region like Verizon.  Our significant infrastructure investment is removing traditional technological boundaries, empowering people and businesses to connect however, whenever and wherever they want.  This borderless lifestyle brings great benefits to our customers, employees, suppliers and communities."

Verizon Furthers Home Monitoring, Multiscreen Entertainment

Verizon's major wireline infrastructure programs last year included:

• Continued deployment of the company's award-winning, 100 percent fiber-optic FiOS TV and FiOS Internet services, making them available to more than 1.22 million homes and businesses in Maryland and the District at year's end.
• Enhancements that further differentiate FiOS services from the competition.  Provided over an all-fiber infrastructure that is much more resilient than other wireline networks, the next-generation FiOS TV is built upon a long series of innovations, including a robust Interactive Media Guide that provides an in-depth, interactive TV experience; Flex View and FiOS TV Online, which extend FiOS TV beyond the home to the Internet and a range of mobile devices; free interactive applications including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Yelp, HSN Shop By Remote, TMZ and others; Media Manager, which allows customers to access on their TVs personal photos, music and videos from their computers; and In-Home Agent, which frees customers to use simple online tools to diagnose and resolve a range of service issues.  In 2011, Verizon:
  • Launched Home Monitoring & Control, which provides customers with remote access, control and monitoring of doors, thermostat controls, appliances and home-energy use.
  • Rolled out MY FiOS, an easy-to-use mobile application that gives customers access to a variety of other applications including Home Monitoring & Control, as well as movies, TV shows and personal content; remote DVR access and control; and billing, account management and customer service tools.
  • Enabled customers who are Xbox LIVE Gold members and who subscribe to both FiOS TV and Internet service to view select live channels through their Xbox consoles through a collaboration with Microsoft.
  • Upgraded its Interactive Media Guide, with applications for advanced/intuitive search, social networking, Internet video, personal media streaming, high-definition music, remote DVR controls, account management and billing functions, multi-screen/mobile viewing and much more.
• Continued implementation of the company's copper infrastructure investment program, which included key upgrades to copper-based facilities and at central office locations across Maryland and D.C. to enhance the overall reliability and dependability of the network.
• Accelerated deployment of fiber-optic links to wireless carriers' cell sites throughout Maryland and D.C as these carriers expand their infrastructure to meet ever-growing demand for wireless broadband and advanced 4G services.  In 2011, Verizon deployed fiber optics to connect nearly 600 of these sites in the region. 

Verizon Enterprise Solutions Goes to the Cloud and Beyond
Verizon Enterprise Solutions oversees all of Verizon's solutions for business and government customers, including its portfolio of enterprise mobility, cloud and IT, strategic networking and advanced communications offerings; specialized solutions for key industries such as health care, travel and transportation, retail, utilities and financial services; IT consulting services; and the company's full range of global wholesale offerings.

In 2011, the unit launched the Verizon Fraud Management for Healthcare, an advanced-software platform that is tailored to the health care industry and uses predictive modeling technology to examine health care payment requests and route potentially fraudulent claims to case managers for investigation.  In addition, Verizon Enterprise Solutions accelerated its global strategy with the acquisition of Terremark, a leading provider of cloud computing solutions, and CloudSwitch, an innovative IT company that enables plug-and-play simplicity in the cloud. 

Last year, Verizon Enterprise Solutions launched new security offerings, including solutions aimed at halting identity theft, and a number of industry-specific innovations.

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 consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with nearly 109 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

SOURCE Verizon