Verizon launched FiOS TV today in seven more North Texas communities, bringing to 14 the number of Dallas/Fort Worth suburbs where consumers can obtain the new competitive service that represents an alternative to existing cable and satellite services.

Effective immediately, Verizon local telephone customers in Colleyville, Grapevine, Murphy, Sachse, Southlake, Westlake and Wylie now have a new choice for television.

Verizon began offering FiOS TV in Keller last September. Last month, the company expanded the service to Carrollton, Coppell, Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Irving and Lewisville. Customer sales in those markets are brisk.

Verizon also recently began offering FiOS TV in Herndon, Va., and surrounding parts of Fairfax County, Va., and Temple Terrace, Fla.

FiOS TV and FiOS Internet Service are transmitted over the company's industry-leading, 100-percent fiber-optic network.

Acting under a new Texas law that granted Verizon a state-issued video franchise in October, Verizon will continue its rollout of FiOS TV in the rest of the company's previously announced FiOS TV markets in the Dallas/Fort Worth area by expanding the service to 11 more communities later this year, in addition to those announced today and previously. The communities are: Allen, Denton, Double Oak, Garland, Hebron, Highland Village, Lucas, Parker, Plano, Rowlett and St. Paul.

By the end of 2006, as Verizon continues building out its fiber-optic network that already spans more than 17 million feet in North Texas, FiOS TV will be available to nearly 400,000 North Texas households, or 33 percent of Verizon's landline customers in Texas, with over 1 million potential viewers.

Information on packages and prices is available at www.verizon.net/fiostv. North Texas customers also can call 1-800-880-2941 to see if they can order FiOS TV.

"Consumers win when they have a choice in video providers," said Steve Banta, Verizon Southwest region president. "The ability to select from multiple in-home video providers stimulates competition and produces greater value and better service for the public.

"We're very pleased at the early consumer response to Verizon FiOS TV," Banta added. "We are equally satisfied that we have accelerated the rollout of our new video service so quickly after receiving a state-issued video franchise. It has greatly increased our ability to compete with incumbent cable and satellite TV companies."

FiOS TV is designed to be a formidable competitor to cable and satellite. It is delivered over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises network, which has industry-leading quality and reliability. Verizon has already placed approximately 17 million feet of fiber throughout its North Texas communities in order to offer FiOS services, resulting in the creation of more than 700 new full-time jobs and more than 800 full-time contractor positions. Verizon intends to add several hundred more full-time North Texas positions early this year to keep up with consumer demand for FiOS services.

Fiber delivers amazingly sharp pictures and sound, and has the capacity to transmit a wide array of high-definition programming that is so clear and intense it seems to leap from the TV screen. Verizon's network design includes backup facilities not common to traditional cable systems, such as duplicate super head-ends where the TV service receives national programming. Service highlights include:

• A broad collection of all-digital programming and compelling consumer choice - with more than 330 total channels now and more on the way.
• A lead offer with more than 180 digital video and music channels, for $34.95 a month with Verizon FiOS Internet Service or a qualifying voice product.
• More than 20 high-definition channels, with extraordinary clarity and theater-quality sound.
• 1,800 video-on-demand titles available to customers now.
• Channels grouped by genres such as entertainment, sports, news, shopping, movies and family, making it easy for audiences to find their favorite programming.
• An easy-to-use interactive programming guide that integrates HD programming, video-on-demand and the digital video recorder along with broadcast television into a seamless user experience.
• A dual-tuner digital video recorder (DVR) that gives customers the freedom to pause and rewind live TV, record one show while watching another, and fast forward to their favorite part of the program - all without a VCR, tapes or DVDs. FiOS TV subscribers can choose from three simple-to-understand service offerings, each with built-in choice and value. They can then choose from packages and premium channels with programming that meets their special interests. Verizon offers three set-top boxes: standard definition for $3.95 per month; high definition (HD), which includes HD channels, for $9.95 per month; and a DVR set-top box with HD channels for $12.95 per month.

The services include:

• Basic, with access to 15-35 local broadcast weather and community channels for $12.95 per month. The service is all-fiber, all-digital with a set-top box, which also provides access to on-demand programming. Basic is also available as an analog service that does not require a set-top box for viewing.
• Expanded Basic, Verizon's lead offer, delivers more than 180 digital video and music channels for $34.95 a month with Verizon FiOS Internet Service or a qualifying voice product. This tier includes access to 1,800 on-demand titles. This service requires a standard-definition set-top box or a high-definition set-top box for HD channels. HD channels are included in this tier at no extra charge.
• La Conexión, an alternative to Expanded Basic service designed for bilingual consumers who enjoy TV programs in English and Spanish, for $32.95 per month. The package includes nearly 140 channels with English and Spanish-language programming and access to video on demand. This service requires a standard-definition set-top box or a high-definition set-top box for HD channels. HD channels are included in this tier at no extra charge. Consumers with a passion for sports or movies can add a 15-channel sports package for $5.95 a month, and a movie package -- with 45 channels of Starz, Encore, Showtime and The Movie Channel -- for $11.95 a month. The movie package includes access to each channel's video-on-demand titles. Or, they can buy both for $14.95 a month. In addition, for wrestling fans, Verizon offers World Wrestling Entertainment's WWE 24/7, a new subscription video-on-demand service, for $7.95 a month.

Verizon also offers 14 HBO channels and 12 Cinemax channels as premium services, with each set of channels available for $14.95. The price includes access to each channel's subscription video-on-demand library. Subscribers who want both HBO and Cinemax will pay $24.95 per month.

Programming choices for African-American, Asian, Russian and other multicultural and ethnic audiences will be available in every market. Because FiOS TV has so much capacity, it will also be an outlet for emerging and independent networks to showcase their diverse programming.

FiOS TV also offers thousands of hours of on-demand programming, including hundreds of titles of free video-on-demand programs across topics such as sports, news, information and education, home and leisure, family, children's shows and movies. Customers can order new movie releases for $3.95 each and selections from a movie library for $2.95 each.

The value of FiOS TV extends to the installation and customer support. Specially trained Verizon technicians will install the service and acquaint subscribers with FiOS TV features and services. Verizon is waiving the installation fee for up to three existing TV outlets, and there is no charge to install a needed optical network terminal at the subscriber's home. Charges for other installation services, such as additional outlets, may apply. Verizon provides 24x7 technical assistance by phone from its Fiber Solutions Centers in Dallas and other cities.

Verizon FiOS Internet Service, offering broadband speeds of up to 5, 15 and 30 megabits per second (mbps), with the potential for even higher speeds, continues to become more widely available throughout North Texas as the company's fiber construction expands.