BASKING RIDGE, N.J. and MUMBAI, India, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Business India, a joint venture between Verizon Business and Mumbai-based Videocon Group, has received licenses for international and national long- distance services. The licenses, issued by India's Department of Telecommunications, enhance Verizon Business' delivery of advanced telecommunications services to multinational companies with operations in India, as well as to India-based multinationals.

Verizon Business India will offer a full range of services, including international private-leased circuits with multi protocol label switching (MPLS) and Internet protocol (IP) services. These services will complement Verizon Business' existing Indian operations.

Verizon Business already holds an Internet service provider license in India and has various local ISP facilities. The joint venture plans to deploy new nodes in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi to support Verizon Business' MPLS, Global Data Link and Ethernet Virtual Private Line solutions.

Blair Crump, group president international & premier accounts, Verizon Business, commented: "India is a key investment location for many of our multinational customers, and these licenses enable us to further enhance our local capabilities to support their strategic business needs. Verizon Business is focused on providing the highest levels of services and capabilities to our customers around the world. We look forward to bringing our expertise to bear in India as we expand our existing presence to provide direct, high-quality, advanced communications services and support to our locally based customer operations."

Verizon Business also announced the appointment of John Samuel as president of Verizon Business India. Samuel, with more than 20 years of experience in the Indian market, will focus on developing business opportunities in India, working with Verizon Business' locally based telecommunications partners.

Verizon Business is well established in the Indian market, with offices in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. Verizon Business is also the only U.S. consortium member of the SEA-ME-WE-4 undersea cable network system, which provides diverse connectivity from India to Europe and Asia. The system, which spans 20,000 kilometers, lands in two locations in India and reaches 14 countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Western Europe.

About Verizon Business India

Verizon Business India is the trading name of a joint venture between Verizon Business and the Videocon Group of Mumbai. Verizon Business holds a 74 percent stake in the joint venture, called Verizon Communications India Private Limited and doing business as Verizon Business India; Videocon Group holds the remaining 26 percent.

About Videocon Group

The US$5 billion Videocon Group, one of India's leading business houses. Videocon Group, with its flagship company Videocon Industries Ltd, is a fully integrated CE & HA enterprise with backward integration in CRT Glass, Color Picture Tubes, Semiconductors and other key components for the consumer electronics, home appliances and components industries. The company operates in the Oil & Gas sector through its Ravva Oil Field, which produces 50,000 barrels of Oil per day and has over 14 global exploration blocks in the Americas, Oman, East Timor and Australia. Videocon Industries is also making a major large scale foray in the area of Thermal Power in India. Videocon has the widest sales & service network in India, supporting seventeen locally- based factories. In addition, the Group operates facilities in Italy, Poland, Australia, Oman, China and Mexico. For more information on Videocon, visit http://www.videoconindustries.com/.

About Verizon Business

Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications , is a leading provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) solutions to large business and government customers worldwide. Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced communications, security and other professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. For more information, visit http://www.verizonbusiness.com/.

CONTACT: Jo Perrin of Verizon Business, +44-770-252-5868,
jo.perrin@verizonbusiness.com

Web site: http://www.verizonbusiness.com/
http://www.videoconindustries.com/

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