Verizon Value Stock - Dividend - Research Selection

Verizon Communications Inc. (Verizon, or the Company) is a holding company that, acting through its subsidiaries, is one of the world’s leading providers of communications, information and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses and governmental agencies. With a presence around the world, we offer voice, data and video services and solutions on our wireless and wireline networks that are designed to meet customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control. Formerly known as Bell Atlantic Corporation (Bell Atlantic), we were incorporated in 1983 under the laws of the State of Delaware. We began doing business as Verizon on June 30, 2000 following our merger with GTE Corporation. We have a highly diverse workforce of approximately 160,900 employees.

Our principal executive offices are located at 1095 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036 (telephone number 212-395-1000).

We have two reportable segments, Wireless and Wireline, which we operate and manage as strategic business segments and organize by products and services.

Wireless

Wireless’ communications products and services include wireless voice and data services and equipment sales, which are provided to consumer, business and government customers across the United States.

Wireline

Wireline’s voice, data and video communications products and enhanced services include broadband video and data, corporate networking solutions, data center and cloud services, security and managed network services and local and long distance voice services. We provide these products and services to consumers in the United States, as well as to carriers, businesses and government customers both in the United States and around the world.

Wireless

Background

Our Wireless segment, doing business as Verizon Wireless, provides wireless communications services and products across one of the most extensive wireless networks in the United States (U.S.). Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless service provider in the United States as measured by retail connections and revenue. At December 31, 2016, Verizon Wireless had 114.2 million retail connections and 2016 revenues of approximately $89.2 billion, representing approximately 71% of Verizon’s aggregate revenues.

Cellco Partnership (Cellco), which originally held the wireless assets of Bell Atlantic, began operating as “Verizon Wireless” in April 2000 with both Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone) and Bell Atlantic as partners, following Vodafone’s contribution of its U.S. wireless assets into Cellco. On September 2, 2013, Verizon entered into a stock purchase agreement with Vodafone and Vodafone 4 Limited, pursuant to which Verizon agreed to acquire all of Vodafone’s indirect 45% interest in Verizon Wireless for aggregate consideration of approximately $130 billion (the Wireless Transaction). We completed the Wireless Transaction on February 21, 2014 and, as a result, we acquired 100% ownership of Verizon Wireless. The consideration paid was primarily comprised of cash and Verizon common stock.

We have the largest fourth-generation (4G) Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology and third-generation (3G) Evolution - Data Optimized (EV-DO) networks of any U.S. wireless service provider. Our 4G LTE network is available to over 98% of the U.S. population in more than 500 markets covering approximately 314 million people, including those in areas served by our LTE in Rural America partners. Under this program, we are working with wireless carriers in rural areas to collaboratively build and operate a 4G LTE network using each carrier’s network assets and our core 4G LTE equipment and 700 MHz C Block and Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum.

We are adding capacity and density to our 4G LTE network. We are committed to developing and deploying fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology and are working with key partners to ensure the aggressive pace of innovation, standards development and appropriate requirements for this next generation of wireless technology. Based on the outcome of our ongoing pre-commercial trials, we intend to be the first company to deploy a 5G fixed wireless broadband network in the United States. We expect to launch a fixed commercial wireless service supported by this network in 2018.

Wireless Service and Product Offerings

Our wireless services are available to our customers receiving service under the Verizon Wireless brand. In addition, customers can obtain wireless products and services that operate on our network from resellers that purchase network access from us on a wholesale basis.

Wireless Services

We offer our wireless services on a postpaid and prepaid basis. Retail (non-wholesale) postpaid accounts primarily represent retail customers with Verizon Wireless that are directly served and managed by Verizon Wireless and use its branded services. A single account may include monthly wireless services for a variety of connected devices. A postpaid retail connection represents an individual line of service for a wireless device for which a customer is billed in advance a monthly access charge in return for a monthly network service allowance, and usage beyond the allowance is billed in arrears. Approximately 95% of our total retail connections were postpaid retail connections as of December 31, 2016. Our prepaid service enables individuals to obtain wireless services without credit verification by paying for all services in advance.

We offer various postpaid account service plans, including shared data plans, single connection plans and other plans tailored to the needs of our customers. Our shared data plans typically feature domestic unlimited voice minutes, unlimited domestic and international text, video and picture messaging, and a single data allowance that can be shared among the wireless devices on a customer’s account. These allowances will vary from time to time as part of promotional offers or in response to market circumstances. On February 12, 2017, we announced an introductory plan, our new Verizon Unlimited plan, available to our consumer and small business customers, which offers among other things, unlimited domestic voice, data and texting. Both our shared data plans and the Verizon Unlimited plan include our HD (High Definition) Voice, Video Calling and Mobile Hotspot services on compatible devices. HD Voice is a suite of services enabled by Voice over LTE (VoLTE), which delivers calls over our 4G LTE network, and our Video Calling service combines an HD Voice call with real-time video. Our Mobile Hotspot service enables a customer to activate a personal Wi-Fi hotspot via their smartphone that can provide Internet access to multiple Wi-Fi enabled devices. We also offer various voice and shared data plans for small and large businesses.

Our simplified shared data plan, the new Verizon Plan, offers customers various sizes of data packages that can be shared among up to 10 devices on a consumer account or 25 devices on a business account. The plan features Carryover Data, which allows customers to carry over unused data to the next month, and Safety Mode, which enables customers to avoid data overage fees by allowing them to continue using data at a reduced data speed after using their data allowance. Certain plans, with higher account access amounts also include calling to and voice, text and data roaming in Mexico and Canada. Customers who wish to participate in this new plan can do so by purchasing a device from Verizon either under our device payment program or at full retail, or by using their own compatible device.

Customers on our fixed-term service plans have historically paid higher access fees for their wireless service in exchange for the ability to purchase their wireless devices at subsidized prices. We have largely discontinued this form of device subsidy. Under the Verizon device payment program, our eligible wireless customers purchase wireless devices under a device payment plan agreement. Customers that activate service on devices purchased under the device payment program or on a compatible device that they already own pay lower access fees (unsubsidized service pricing) as compared to those under our fixed-term service plans. Generally, customers entering into device payment plan agreements on or after June 1, 2015 are required to repay all amounts due under their device payment plan agreement before being eligible to upgrade their device. However, certain devices are subject to promotions that allow customers to upgrade to a new device after paying down a specified percentage of the balance on their device payment plan and trading in their device in good working condition.

We also offer prepaid single connection service plans that feature domestic unlimited voice minutes and unlimited domestic and international text. On compatible devices, certain of our prepaid plans also feature video and picture messaging, Carryover Data and Always-On Data, which allows a customer to stay online at reduced data speeds after using their data allowance. HD Voice, Video Calling and Mobile Hotspot service are available on compatible devices. Customers can manage their prepaid services on the device using their My Verizon Mobile application or logging in to the My Verizon website.

We offer our customers a wide variety of wireless services accessible on a broad range of devices. Access to the Internet is available on all smartphones and nearly all basic phones. We also offer service that enables our customers to access the Internet wirelessly at broadband speeds on notebook computers and tablets that either have embedded 4G LTE or 3G EV-DO modules or that are used in conjunction with separate devices that enable access to this service, such as USB modems, JetpacksTM and other dedicated devices that provide a mobile Wi-Fi connection.

Our customers can access multimedia offerings, provided by Verizon and by third parties, consisting of applications providing music, video, gaming, news and other content. Our business-focused offerings, which are designed to increase productivity, include solutions that enable customers to access the Internet, their corporate intranets and e-mail across our diverse portfolio of wireless devices. Our location-based services provide our customers with directions to their destination and enable our business customers to locate, monitor and communicate with their mobile field workers. Our global data services allow our customers to access data services and the Internet on all smartphones and many tablets and basic phones from hundreds of international destinations that we sell. A majority of the wireless devices used by our customers can run applications and services offered by Google (a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.) via Google Play or Apple Inc. (Apple) via iTunes.

Our customers can also make and receive calls on their home phone handsets using our wireless network through our Home Phone Connect service or Verizon 4G LTE Broadband Router with Voice service. We also offer LTE Internet (Installed), a high-speed Internet service that provides customers with Internet connections in their homes using our 4G LTE network.