Verizon Communications (VZ)

General

Our principal properties do not lend themselves to simple description by character and location. Our total investment in plant, property and equipment was approximately $229 billion at December 31, 2009 and $216 billion at December 31, 2008, including the effect of retirements, but before deducting accumulated depreciation. Our gross investment in plant, property and equipment consisted of the following at December 31:

Network equipment consists primarily of cable (predominantly aerial, buried, underground or undersea) and the related support structures of poles and conduit, wireless plant, switching equipment, network software, transmission equipment and related facilities. Land, buildings and building equipment consists of land and land improvements, central office buildings or any other buildings that house network equipment, and buildings that are used for administrative and other purposes. Substantially all the switching centers are located on land and in buildings we own due to their critical role in the network and high set-up relocation costs. We also maintain facilities throughout the United States comprised of administrative and sales offices, customer care centers, retail sales locations, switching centers, cell sites and data centers. Furniture and other consists of public telephones and telephone equipment, furniture, data processing equipment, office equipment, motor vehicles, plant under construction, capitalized non-network computer software costs and leasehold improvements. A portion of our property is subject to the liens of their respective mortgages securing funded debt.

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