Verizon Offers Small Businesses in Wisconsin First-Ever Unlimited Calling Packages at One Low Monthly Price

WAUSAU, Wisc., Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon Tuesday (Jan. 9) for the first time began offering small and medium-sized businesses in Wisconsin three calling packages that provide unlimited usage for a fixed monthly fee, plus additional savings with a one-year commitment. Business owners can pick the Verizon Freedom for Business calling packages that best meet their local, regional toll and long-distance calling needs.


The new calling packages are part of Verizon’s strategy to fully support the success of the small-business market segment and deliver products and services that meet the needs of these companies. The company Tuesday also began offering the Verizon Freedom for Business calling packages in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.


“Now that we are able to offer Verizon Freedom calling packages, our small-business customers don’t have to think about the costs associated with making business calls and getting unpredictable monthly bills,” said Beth Whitacre, director of Midwest marketing for Verizon. “We know that when they are on the phone, they want to be focused on the call, not on how many minutes have gone by or how much the call will cost.”


According to Whitacre, replacing pay-as-you-go pricing with a flat monthly rate is popular with small businesses because it gives them the predictability they need to accurately budget their telecommunications costs, and enables them to save money as well.


The new calling plans offer unprecedented flexibility at very competitive rates. The Verizon Freedom for Business calling plan includes unlimited local, unlimited direct-dialed regional toll and domestic long-distance calls priced at $25 per month, or $21 per month with an optional one-year commitment. Customers who sign up for the one-year commitment and select the ONE-BILL option qualify for a discount of up to 20 percent per month on Verizon High Speed Internet for Business.


The Freedom Basic for Business Local with Toll calling plan covers direct- dialed regional calls for $10 per month, or $6 per month with an optional one- year commitment.


The Freedom Basic for Business Local calling plan covers all local calls for $8 per month or $4 per month with an optional one-year commitment.


Prices for the calling plans are in addition to the monthly cost of the line itself. Taxes and fees also apply, including a Universal Service Fee. The calling plans are available to business customers with up to 25 voice-grade or voice-grade-equivalent lines at time of service initiation and only available on up to 10 lines per customer.


Verizon offers a variety of products and services that allow small and medium-sized businesses to customize the services they need to better compete in the marketplace. In addition to broadband Internet access, services include online backup storage, e-mail encryption and communications management tools.


Frost & Sullivan recently recognized Verizon for offering one of the most robust portfolios of products and services to small businesses. For broadband access, voice services and video — in select markets — Verizon also offers a “triple-play” bundle of unlimited calling, Verizon High Speed Internet for Business and DIRECTV service to qualifying small businesses, starting at around $88 per month (plus applicable taxes and fees).


Verizon’s small business Web portal (http://business.verizon.net/) offers convenient tools to look up driving directions, weather and stock quotes — plus a 30-day news archive including articles from the Wall Street Journal.


For additional information about Verizon Freedom for Business calling plans in Wisconsin, customers can visit www.verizon.com/freeyourbusiness41 or call 888-753-1535.


Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) , a New York-based Dow 30 company, 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 nearly 57 million customers nationwide. Verizon’s Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which operates one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks, and Verizon Telecom, which is deploying the nation’s most advanced fiber-optic network to deliver the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services to customers. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.


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