Verizon Communications 2009 Annual Report Financial Highlights (as of December 31, 2009) Consolidated Operating Cash Flow Declared Dividends Reported Diluted Adjusted Diluted Revenues from Continuing per Share Earnings per Share Earnings per Share (billions) Operations (non-GAAP) (billions) $107.8 $31.6 $1.87 $2.26 $2.54 $97.4 $1.78 $2.39 $2.40 $93.5 $27.4 $27.6 $1.67 $1.90 $1.29 07 08 09 07 08 09 07 08 09 07 08 09 07 08 09 Corporate Highlights > 14.5% growth in cash flow from operations > 40.7% increase in free cash flow > 5.9 million new wireless customers > 31% growth in wireless data revenue > 952,000 new FiOS customers > 56.5% growth in FiOS revenue > 3.8% total shareholder return > 3.3% annual dividend increase Note: Prior-period amounts have been reclassified to reflect comparable results. See www.verizon.com/investor for reconciliations to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for the non-GAAP financial measures included in this annual report. Verizon’s results for the periods presented have been adjusted to reflect the spinoff of local exchange and related business assets in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in March 2008. These reclassifications were determined using spe- cific information where available and allocations where data is not maintained on a state-specific basis within the Company’s books and records. Discontinued operations include Telecomunicaciones de Puerto Rico Inc. (TELPRI), which was sold in the first quarter of 2007. Corporate Highlights shown above are presented on a pro forma and adjusted basis. Intra- and inter-segment transactions have not been eliminated from the business group revenue totals cited in this document. Pro forma information presents the combined operating results of Verizon and Alltel, with the results prior to the acquisition date adjusted to include the pro forma impact of: the elimination of transactions between Verizon and Alltel; the adjustment of amortization of intangible assets and depreciation of fixed assets based on the preliminary purchase price allocation; the elimination of merger expenses and management fees incurred by Alltel; and the adjustment of interest expense reflecting the assumption and partial redemption of Alltel’s debt and incremental borrowings incurred by Verizon Wireless to complete the acquisition of Alltel. In keeping with Verizon’s commitment to protect the environment, this report was printed on paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). By selecting FSC-certified paper, Verizon is helping to make a difference by supporting responsible forest management practices. VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. 2009 ANNUAL REPORT Chairman’s Letter to Shareowners Ivan Seidenberg Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dear Shareowner, Verizon is now ten years old. In this first decade of the 21st century, we have transformed our historic franchise around the demands of a new industry and a new kind of customer. We have built our company around our belief that the better the network, the better the performance of everything that rides on it, and we have pushed ourselves to release the innovative power of our technology to customers. Our people are animated by their passion for this industry and our conviction that what we do is important to society. We’ve had to sharpen our reflexes and quicken our pace to compete at Internet speed – a challenge we face anew every day – but overall, Verizon’s first ten years have proven our financial strength, capacity for growth and ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. The past year has put those qualities to the test. Competition has intensified and the economy has stagnated, taking their toll on our growth, profitability and stock price. Clearly, we have more work to do to align our performance with the expectations of our investors and ourselves. Despite these challenges, though, our 2009 results demonstrate our staying power and launch us into 2010 from a position of strength and confidence. Verizon’s strong cash flows, solid balance sheet and modest revenue growth carried us through the most severe recession in recent memory. Pro forma adjusted revenues grew 1.5 percent to $107.8 billion in 2009, while U.S. Gross Domestic Product fell by 2.4 percent. Operating cash flow was $31.6 billion, up 14.5 percent, and free cash flow was 40.7 percent higher in 2009 than 2008. 1 In September, our Board of Directors approved a 3.3 percent increase in our dividend, the third such Wireless Revenue increase in as many years. At a time when private capital investments in the U.S. are at near- (billions) historic lows, Verizon invested approximately $17 billion in infrastructure in 2009, which is critical $62.1 to our maintaining the network superiority that is the essence of our brand. Thanks to these $49.3 investments, we continued to add customers and grow revenues in broadband, wireless and $43.9 strategic business services. Our 2009 performance shows the effects of the prolonged economic downturn. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation declined by 0.9 percent for 2009 on a pro forma basis, to $35.7 billion, and adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations for the year declined by 5.5 percent, to $2.40 per share. While our strategic areas performed well, overall growth 07 08 09 slowed as persistent unemployment and delayed investment on the part of business customers dampened volumes in long-distance and wholesale. Still, with our stable revenues, strong balance sheet and good fundamentals, we are Wireless Retail weathering the economic storm reasonably well and continuing to press forward with our growth Customers (millions) agenda. We made progress on several strategic initiatives to realign our assets around broadband and 87.5 wireless. Early in 2009 we completed our acquisition of Alltel, making us the largest wireless 70.0 63.7 company in the U.S. as measured by the total number of customers and revenues. We reached an agreement to spin off some rural telephone assets to Frontier, a transaction we expect to complete in the first half of 2010. And in keeping with our belief in high-quality networks, we continued to build an advanced wireless and broadband infrastructure and deliver the innovative products, services and applications that are driving our industry and transforming our society. Verizon Wireless performed strongly again in 2009. We added 5.9 million customers to end the 07 08 09 year with 91.2 million customers, and we earned $62.1 billion in revenues, up 6.1 percent. (These numbers are pro forma adjusted to reflect the Alltel acquisition.) Consumer Reports ranked us #1 in customer satisfaction across all the markets they surveyed, a testament to our continued focus on network excellence and customer service. Data revenues grew 31 percent in 2009 on a pro forma basis and now account for almost 30 percent of service revenues, and with the proliferation of smart phones we have tremendous headroom for growth. Looking ahead, we see wireless data traffic more than doubling every year and mobile connections increasingly being embedded into the physical world, built into everything we touch. Verizon Wireless currently operates the nation’s largest and most reliable third- generation wireless data network, and we are moving forward with plans for a nationwide fourth-generation network based on a global standard called LTE, for “Long-Term Evolution.” This In Their Own Words On financial performance: On wireless transformation: “I believe that our results show good operating and financial discipline “Verizon’s fourth-generation (4G) network technology will dramatically enhance throughout the business. Our strong focus on managing costs and capital wireless data speeds, opening a new world of devices, content and applications spending allowed us to maximize free cash flow and return cash to that will ride on it. Expect to see mobile video-sharing, conferencing and shareowners. Our Board’s decision to approve a dividend increase for the third streaming all in higher definition than is possible today. There will be an consecutive year demonstrates confidence in the strength of our cash flow explosion of consumer electronics embedded with 4G. Moreover, 4G will have and balance sheet, as well as our commitment to reward shareowners while the capacity to enable a whole new wireless grid of machine-to-machine continuing to invest for long-term growth.” connections. The growth potential is extraordinary.” - John Killian, EVP and CFO – Verizon - Lowell McAdam, EVP and President and CEO – Verizon Wireless VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. 2009 ANNUAL REPORT new LTE network will be up to 10 times faster and much more cost-efficient than today’s wireless Wireless Data Revenue technology. Since acquiring prime spectrum for this build-out, we have selected technology (billions) partners and conducted extensive tests of LTE in Boston and Seattle. We will begin to offer $16.0 commercial service later in 2010 and are in a great position to extend our leadership in the next phase of growth in the wireless industry. $10.7 We are also priming the innovation pump for the coming explosion of smart devices, $7.4 multimedia applications and machine-to-machine communications. We started our own innovation lab, opened our network to outside developers, and are working with partners such as Qualcomm, Skype and Google to create new devices, applications and services, and we have joined with China Mobile, Softbank Japan and Vodafone to create a Joint Innovation Laboratory to foster 07 08 09 application development worldwide. We expanded our portfolio of smart phones and devices, one of which – the Motorola Droid smart phone, based on Google’s Android operating system – topped Time’s list of the best new gadgets of 2009. Wireless Retail In broadband, the Internet is evolving from a text-based to a visual medium.