Verizon: Investing in Florida

Verizon provides voice, data and video services in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Sarasota and Manatee counties - in  west central Florida. Verizon Florida serves a 5,879 square mile area consisting of three Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Tampa-Clearwater-St. Petersburg to the west, Bradenton-Sarasota to the south, and Lakeland- Winter Haven to the east. Our communications infrastructure is a high-speed, high capacity fiber-optic network coupled with leading edge digital switching and transmission technology.

• We serve more than 3 million accounts in Florida.

• We invested $840.8 million in plant and equipment in 2008, including investments in our industry-leading fiber-to-the-premises initiative.

• We operate a fleet with 2,889 vehicles.

• We own or manage 304 buildings or locations in Florida.

• We partner with nearly 6,346 Florida vendors and suppliers.

• Approximately 10,557 employees work in Florida; 10,589 live here.

• Our employee payroll is approximately $651.1 million annually.

• We pay roughly $102 million annually in state taxes.

• We pay approximately $220 million annually in healthcare costs for employees and retirees.

• We pay $201.9 million annually to more than 18,782 retirees in FL.

• 49,769 Verizon shareowners live here.

• We made $1.7 million in charitable and civic contributions in Florida in 2008.

  May 2009