March 21, 2005

To Our Shareholders:

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Verizon cordially invites you to attend the 2005 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Verizon Communications Inc. on Thursday, May 5, 2005. The Annual Meeting will be held at the Houston Marriott Westchase Hotel, 2900 Briarpark Drive, Houston, Texas. The Annual Meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. and end no later than 12 noon. The formal Notice of Annual Meeting appears on the next page.

The attached Proxy Statement describes the matters that we expect to act upon at the Annual Meeting. Shareholders who attend the Annual Meeting will have the opportunity to ask questions of broad interest to Verizon’s shareholders. You will need an admission ticket to attend the Annual Meeting, and specific information about obtaining your admission ticket can be found in the Notice of Annual Meeting. Directions to the Annual Meeting are printed on the admission ticket.

It is important that your views be represented whether or not you attend the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote FOR Items 1 and 2 and AGAINST Items 3 through 8.

We appreciate your interest in Verizon and urge you to vote your shares either in person at the Annual Meeting or by returning your proxy as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer