Verizon to Open Syracuse Support Center

DEWITT, N.Y., Feb. 25 -- Verizon said it will open a new customer support center for advanced fiber optic services in Dewitt, N.Y., near Syracuse, and will create up to 50 new jobs this year. Over the next two years, it said, the center will employ up to 150 people.

Employees in the new Fiber Solutions Center (FSC) will support consumers and business customers who purchase new broadband products and video services over Verizon's fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network. The new center will take calls from customers across several states served by Verizon.

Verizon has begun building FTTP in parts of 12 states, including central New York. The new technology uses a fiber optic link to directly connect a home or business to the Verizon network, replacing the copper wire technology used today.

"The Fiber Solutions Center and its employees will offer the highest-quality broadband service possible for our customers," said Jeff Bell, director of the new center for Verizon. "These new employees will learn how this technology works so that they can help our customers get the most out of the best broadband available today."

Verizon is selling services under the FiOS brand that include high-speed Internet access services to consumers served by the company's new FTTP network in parts of California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

The new center will be located at 6360 Thompson Road, using existing space in a building already owned by Verizon. Employees in the center will handle calls from customers who buy the new FiOS products, answering technical questions, assisting customers in trouble-shooting problems and diagnosing and correcting them remotely. Verizon will begin hiring and training employees next month. The company has already opened similar customer service centers in Dallas; Hampton, Va.; Providence, R.I.; and Thousand Oaks, Calif. Verizon began building its FTTP network in Keller, Texas, in May 2004. The company said it expects to hire some 3000 to 5000 new employees by the end of this year to help build the network.

For more information, visit: www.verizon.com