UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark one)

x		QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2003

		OR

¨		TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to

Commission file number 1-3090

VERIZON FLORIDA INC.

A Florida Corporation

I.R.S. Employer Identification No. 59-0397520

1095 Avenue of the Americas, Room 3868, New York, New York 10036

Telephone number: (212) 395-2121

THE REGISTRANT MEETS THE CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN GENERAL INSTRUCTION H(1)(a) AND (b) OF FORM 10-Q AND IS THEREFORE FILING THIS FORM WITH REDUCED DISCLOSURE FORMAT PURSUANT TO GENERAL INSTRUCTION H(2).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) Yes ¨ No x

Verizon Florida Inc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

		Page


PART I	Financial Information

Item 1.	Financial Statements

	Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
	Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2003 and 2002	1

	Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
	September 30, 2003 and December 31, 2002	2

	Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2003 and 2002	4

	Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements	5

Item 2.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations	9

Item 4.	Controls and Procedures	16

PART II	Other Information

Item 6.	Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K	17

Signatures		18

Exhibit Index		19

Verizon Florida Inc.

PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Dollars in Millions) (Unaudited)	2003		2002		2003		2002

Operating Revenues (including $29.8, $27.9, $89.3 and $69.1 from affiliates)	$	398.6	$	399.1	$	1,190.3	$	1,201.5

Operating Expenses (including $84.8, $75.4, $238.8 and $215.0 to affiliates)
Cost of services and sales (exclusive of items shown below)		137.7		128.4		382.8		355.9
Selling, general and administrative expense		128.7		127.5		335.0		344.2
Depreciation and amortization		79.7		80.4		241.0		246.9

Total Operating Expenses		346.1		336.3		958.8		947.0


Operating Income		52.5		62.8		231.5		254.5

Other income, net (including $4.0, $13.6, $15.9 and $33.0 from affiliates)		4.2		13.6		16.4		33.4

Interest expense (including $(.9), $14.3, $17.4 and $32.7 to affiliates)		22.7		31.2		72.1		84.0


Income before provision for income taxes and cumulative effect of change in accounting principle		34.0		45.2		175.8		203.9

Provision for income taxes		12.5		16.2		67.3		77.5


Income Before Cumulative Effect of Change in Accounting Principle		21.5		29.0		108.5		126.4

Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle, net of tax		—		—		46.0		—


Net Income	$	21.5	$	29.0	$	154.5	$	126.4

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Verizon Florida Inc.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

ASSETS

(Dollars in Millions)	September 30, 2003		December 31, 2002

	(Unaudited)
Current assets
Cash	$	6.2	$	40.2
Short-term investments		1.2		67.1
Notes receivable from affiliates		398.5		843.1
Accounts receivable:
Trade and other, net of allowances for uncollectibles of $52.4 and $61.8		196.7		221.0
Affiliates		35.1		178.5
Material and supplies		41.9		31.9
Prepaid expenses		2.6		17.4
Deferred income taxes		6.4		10.4
Other		48.8		50.2

		737.4		1,459.8

Plant, property and equipment		5,387.5		5,354.3
Less accumulated depreciation		3,367.6		3,349.9

		2,019.9		2,004.4

Prepaid pension asset		424.7		449.2

Other assets		99.1		108.0

Total assets	$	3,281.1	$	4,021.4

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Verizon Florida Inc.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

LIABILITIES AND SHAREOWNER’S INVESTMENT

(Dollars in Millions)	September 30, 2003		December 31, 2002

	(Unaudited)
Current liabilities
Debt maturing within one year:
Notes payable to affiliates	$	279.2	$	810.9
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities:
Affiliates		82.9		313.5
Other		133.5		109.0
Other current liabilities		163.0		170.4

		658.6		1,403.8


Long-term debt		1,040.6		1,040.4


Employee benefit obligations		298.4		284.5


Deferred credits and other liabilities
Deferred income taxes		350.9		322.3
Other		85.1		96.1

		436.0		418.4

Shareowner’s investment
Common stock – one share, without par value		585.0		585.0
Contributed capital		191.2		191.2
Reinvested earnings		71.3		98.1

		847.5		874.3


Total liabilities and shareowner’s investment	$	3,281.1	$	4,021.4

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Verizon Florida Inc.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Dollars in Millions) (Unaudited)	2003			2002

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	$	352.9		$	324.6


Cash Flows from Investing Activities
Capital expenditures (including capitalized network and non-network software)		(182.4	)		(214.0	)
Net change in short-term investments		65.9			64.1
Change in notes receivable from affiliates		444.6			359.5
Other, net		1.3			.1

Net cash provided by investing activities		329.4			209.7


Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Change in notes payable to affiliates		(531.7	)		(388.3	)
Dividends paid		(181.3	)		(161.0	)
Net change in outstanding checks drawn on controlled disbursement accounts		(3.3	)		(5.6	)

Net cash used in financing activities		(716.3	)		(554.9	)


Net change in cash		(34.0	)		(20.6	)

Cash, beginning of period		40.2			89.6


Cash, end of period	$	6.2		$	69.0

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Verizon Florida Inc.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

1. Basis of Presentation

Verizon Florida Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of GTE Corporation (GTE), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc. (Verizon). The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared based upon Securities and Exchange Commission rules that permit reduced disclosure for interim periods. These financial statements reflect all adjustments that are necessary for a fair presentation of results of operations and financial position for the interim periods shown including normal recurring accruals. The results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. The balance sheet at December 31, 2002 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. For a more complete discussion of significant accounting policies and certain other information, you should refer to the financial statements included in our 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We have reclassified certain amounts from prior year’s data to conform to the 2003 presentation.

2. Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Stock-Based Compensation

We participate in employee compensation plans sponsored by Verizon with awards of Verizon common stock. Prior to 2003, Verizon accounted for stock-based employee compensation under Accounting Principles Board (APB) Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees,” and related interpretations, and followed the disclosure-only provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.” In accordance with APB Opinion No. 25, no stock-based employee compensation expense for our fixed stock option plans is reflected in our 2002 net income as all options granted under those plans had an exercise price equal to the market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant.

Effective January 1, 2003, Verizon adopted the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123, using the prospective method (as permitted under SFAS No. 148, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation—Transition and Disclosure”) to all new awards granted, modified or settled after January 1, 2003. Under the prospective method, employee compensation expense in the first year will be recognized for new awards granted, modified, or settled. The options generally vest over a term of three years, therefore the expenses related to stock-based employee compensation included in the determination of net income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003 are less than what would have been recorded if the fair value method was also applied to previously issued awards. The following table illustrates the effect on net income if the fair value method had been applied to all outstanding and unvested options in each period.

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Dollars in Millions)	2003			2002			2003			2002

Net income, as reported	$	21.5		$	29.0		$	154.5		$	126.4
Add: Stock option-related employee compensation expense included in reported net income, net of related tax effects		.1			—			.1			—
Deduct: Total stock option-related employee compensation expense determined under fair value based method for all awards, net of related tax effects		(.1	)		(.9	)		(.4	)		(2.9	)

Pro forma net income	$	21.5		$	28.1		$	154.2		$	123.5

After-tax compensation expense for other stock-based compensation included in net income as reported for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003 and 2002 was not material.

Asset Retirement Obligations

Effective January 1, 2003, we adopted SFAS No. 143, “Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations.” This standard provides the accounting for the cost of legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets. SFAS No. 143 requires that companies recognize the fair value of a liability for asset retirement obligations in the period in which the obligations are incurred and capitalize that amount as part of the book value of the long-lived asset. We have determined that we do not have a material legal obligation to remove long-lived assets as described by this statement. However, prior to the adoption of SFAS No. 143, we included estimated removal costs in our group depreciation models. These costs have increased depreciation

Verizon Florida Inc.

expense and accumulated depreciation for future removal costs for existing assets. These removal costs were recorded as a reduction to accumulated depreciation when the assets were retired and removal costs were incurred.

For some assets, such as telephone poles, the removal costs exceeded salvage value. Under the provisions of SFAS No. 143, we are required to exclude costs of removal from our depreciation rates for assets for which the removal costs exceed salvage. Accordingly, in connection with the initial adoption of this standard on January 1, 2003, we have reversed accrued costs of removal in excess of salvage from our accumulated depreciation accounts for these assets. The adjustment was recorded as a cumulative effect of an accounting change, resulting in the recognition of a gain of $74.8 million ($46.0 million after-tax). Effective January 1, 2003, we began expensing costs of removal in excess of salvage for these assets as incurred. The ongoing impact of this change in accounting resulted in a decrease in depreciation expense and an increase in cost of services and sales, which was not material to our total operating expenses for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2003.

Debt Extinguishment

In April 2002, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued SFAS No. 145, “Rescission of FASB Statements No. 4, 44, and 64, Amendment of FASB Statement No. 13, and Technical Corrections.” SFAS No. 145, among other things, eliminates the requirement that all gains and losses on the extinguishment of debt must be classified as extraordinary items on the income statement, thereby permitting the classification of such gains and losses as extraordinary items only if they meet the criteria of APB Opinion No. 30, “Reporting the Results of Operations—Reporting the Effects of Disposal of a Segment of a Business, and Extraordinary, Unusual and Infrequently Occurring Events and Transactions.” We adopted this provision of SFAS No. 145 effective January 1, 2003 and, upon adoption, reclassified the losses on the early extinguishment of debt and related tax benefits that were previously reported in our statements of income as extraordinary items to Other expense and Provision for income taxes.

3. Dividend

On November 3, 2003, we declared and paid a dividend in the amount of $65.0 million to our parent, GTE.

4. GTE Funding Incorporated

GTE Funding Incorporated (GTE Funding), a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon Florida, provides short-term financing, investment vehicles and cash management services for some of Verizon’s domestic operating telephone companies, including the company. From time to time, depending on the operating needs of each of those affiliates, GTE Funding may have a note receivable or note payable balance with an affiliate. The Financial Services Agreements between GTE Funding and the affiliates specify that the affiliates are permitted to borrow or advance short-term funds on a day-to day (demand note) basis to finance their ordinary business and capital requirements. Since these borrowings and advances are based on a variable interest rate and demand note basis, the carrying value of the notes approximates its fair market value.

In addition, GTE Funding has a contractual agreement with an affiliated company, Verizon Network Funding Corp. (VNFC), for the provision of short-term financing and cash management services. VNFC issues commercial paper and obtains bank loans to fund the working capital requirements for some of Verizon’s network services subsidiaries, including the company, and invests funds in temporary investments on their behalf.

The following table provides additional information related to our carrying values by affiliated company:

	Notes Receivable from Affiliates				Notes Payable to Affiliates
(Dollars in Millions)	September 30, 2003		December 31, 2002		September 30, 2003		December 31, 2002

Verizon California Inc.	$	—	$	386.5	$	56.8	$	—
Verizon North Inc.		362.5		257.5		—		—
Verizon Northwest Inc.		—		105.0		25.0		—
Verizon South Inc.		—		—		176.4		80.6
GTE Southwest Incorporated		—		94.1		21.0		—
GTE Midwest Incorporated		—		—		—		307.2
VNFC		36.0		—		—		423.1

Total	$	398.5	$	843.1	$	279.2	$	810.9

Verizon Florida Inc.

5. Shareowner’s Investment

(Dollars in Millions)	Common Stock		Contributed Capital		Reinvested Earnings

Balance at December 31, 2002	$	585.0	$	191.2	$	98.1
Net income						154.5
Dividends declared						(181.3	)

Balance at September 30, 2003	$	585.0	$	191.2	$	71.3

Net income and comprehensive income were the same for the nine months ended September 30, 2003 and 2002.

6. Segment Information

We have two reportable segments; Florida Telephone Operations and GTE Funding. We generally account for intersegment transactions at current market prices. GTE Funding has no reportable net income. Its interest expense is approximately equal to the interest income received on affiliate notes between GTE Funding and the various domestic operating telephone companies. Accounting policies of the segments, as applicable, are the same as those referred to in Note 1 (“Basis of Presentation”).

Segment results were as follows:

	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Dollars in Millions)	2003		2002			2003		2002

Florida Telephone Operations:
Total external revenues	$	398.6	$	399.1		$	1,190.3	$	1,201.5
Operating income		52.5		62.9			231.5		254.6
Depreciation and amortization		79.7		80.4			241.0		246.9
Interest expense		19.0		17.7			60.4		51.2
Interest income		.5		—			4.7		.1
Capital expenditures		67.2		58.3			182.4		214.0

GTE Funding:
Operating loss	$	—	$	(.1	)	$	—	$	(.1	)
Interest expense		3.8		14.0			15.7		33.7
Interest income		3.8		14.1			15.7		33.8

Consolidated Revenues	$	398.6	$	399.1		$	1,190.3	$	1,201.5
Consolidated Operating Income		52.5		62.8			231.5		254.5


(Dollars in Millions)	September 30, 2003			December 31, 2002

Assets
Florida Telephone Operations	$	3,025.2		$	3,476.0
GTE Funding (a)		432.0			1,118.0
Reconciling items (b)		(176.1	)		(572.6	)

Consolidated Assets	$	3,281.1		$	4,021.4

(a)

Assets consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and accounts and notes receivable from affiliates. The decline in assets is due to some funding activities being processed through another Verizon funding company.

(b) Reconciling items consist primarily of intersegement accounts and notes receivable.

Verizon Florida Inc.

7. Employee Severance and Other Benefit Costs

Employee Severance Costs

We maintain ongoing severance plans for both management and associate employees, which provide benefits to employees that are terminated. The costs for these plans are accounted for under SFAS No. 112, “Employers’ Accounting for Postemployment Benefits.” We accrue for severance benefits based on the terms of our severance plan over the estimated service periods of the employees. The accruals are also based on the historical run-rate of actual severances and expectations for future severances. From time to time, because Verizon’s severance programs are implemented across its subsidiaries, Verizon must redistribute the amount of severance liability based on actual experience at the companies.

In the fourth quarter of 2001, it was determined that our severance liability was not sufficient as a result of new downsizing plans and we recorded a special charge of $6.1 million. In the second quarters of 2002 and 2003, again, it was determined that the severance liability was not sufficient because of further downsizing plans and we recorded special charges of $3.3 million and $1.7 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2003, approximately 560 employees have been separated and nearly all of the separations under these previous severance programs have occurred. As of September 30, 2003, our severance liability was $12.8 million, which includes future payments to employees previously separated under these severance programs. During the first nine months of 2003, the company’s severance liability was increased by $11.6 million for special charges and the redistribution of severance liabilities across Verizon’s subsidiaries and decreased by $11.5 million principally for payments. Severance costs are included in selling, general and administrative expense in our statements of income. We continually evaluate employee levels, and accordingly, we may incur future severance costs.

Other Benefit Costs

During the nine months ended September 30, 2003, we recorded a pension settlement loss of $37.7 million related to employees that received lump-sum distributions during the third quarter of 2003 in connection with previously announced employee separations. Also, we recorded a special charge of $.1 million in the second quarter of 2003 in connection with pension and retirement benefit enhancements. During the nine months ended September 30, 2002, we recorded a pension settlement loss of $21.6 million related to employees that received lump-sum distributions during the third quarter of 2002. The special termination benefits and settlement of pension obligations are recorded in accordance with SFAS No. 88, “Employers’ Accounting for Settlements and Curtailments of Defined Pension Plans and for Termination Benefits” and SFAS No. 106, “Employers’ Accounting for Postretirement Benefits Other than Pensions.” Special termination benefits and settlement of pension obligations are included in selling, general and administrative expense in our statements of income.

8. Commitments and Contingencies

Various legal actions and regulatory proceedings are pending to which we are a party and claims which, if asserted, may lead to other legal actions. We have established reserves for specific liabilities in connection with regulatory and legal matters, including environmental matters that we currently deem to be probable and estimable. We do not expect that the ultimate resolution of pending regulatory and legal matters in future periods will have a material effect on our financial condition, but it could have a material effect on our results of operations.

From time to time, regulatory decisions require us to assure customers that we will provide a level of service performance that falls within prescribed parameters. There are penalties associated with failing to meet those service parameters and we, from time to time, pay such penalties. We do not expect these penalties to have a material effect on our financial condition, but they could have a material effect on our results of operations.

Verizon Florida Inc.

Item 2.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations

(Abbreviated pursuant to General Instruction H(2).)

This discussion should be read in conjunction with the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Condensed Consolidated Notes to Financial Statements.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

We reported net income of $154.5 million for the nine month period ended September 30, 2003, compared to net income of $126.4 million for the same period in 2002. Our reported results included the following special item:

Cumulative Effect of Change in Accounting Principle

Effective January 1, 2003, we adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 143, “Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations.” This standard provides the accounting for the cost of legal obligations associated with the retirement of long-lived assets. SFAS No. 143 requires that companies recognize the fair value of a liability for asset retirement obligations in the period in which the obligations are incurred and capitalize that amount as part of the book value of the long-lived asset. We have determined that we do not have a material legal obligation to remove long-lived assets as described by this statement. However, prior to the adoption of SFAS No. 143, we included estimated removal costs in our group depreciation models. These costs have increased depreciation expense and accumulated depreciation for future removal costs for existing assets. These removal costs were recorded as a reduction to accumulated depreciation when the assets were retired and removal costs were incurred.

This and other items affecting the comparison of our results of operations for the nine month periods ending September 30, 2003 and 2002 are discussed in the following sections.

Verizon Florida Inc.

OPERATING REVENUES

(Dollars in Millions)

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2003		2002

Local services	$	581.0	$	604.7
Network access services		482.7		486.0
Long distance services		27.2		19.8
Other services		99.4		91.0

Total	$	1,190.3	$	1,201.5

LOCAL SERVICES

2003-2002		(Decrease)

Nine Months		$(23.7) (3.9)%

Local service revenues are earned from the provision of local exchange, local private line, wire maintenance, voice messaging and value-added services. Value-added services are a family of services that expand the utilization of the network, including products such as Caller ID, Call Waiting and Return Call. The provision of local exchange services not only includes retail revenues, but also includes local wholesale revenues from unbundled network elements (UNEs), interconnection revenues from competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) and wireless carriers, and some data transport revenues.

Local service revenues declined in the first nine months of 2003 primarily due to lower demand and usage of our basic local exchange and accompanying services, as reflected by a decline in switched access lines in service of 3.3% from a year ago. This decline was mainly driven by the effect of technology substitution. This decrease was partially offset by the impact of sales of packaged wireline services as a result of expanded new products and pricing plans.

NETWORK ACCESS SERVICES

2003-2002		(Decrease)

Nine Months		$(3.3) (.7)%

Network access service revenues are earned from end-user subscribers and from long distance and other competing carriers who use our local exchange facilities to provide usage services to their customers. Switched access revenues are derived from fixed and usage-based charges paid by carriers for access to our local network. Special access revenues originate from carriers and end-users that buy dedicated local exchange capacity to support their private networks. End-user access revenues are earned from our customers and from resellers who purchase dial-tone services. Further, network access revenues include our digital subscriber line (DSL) services.

The decrease in network access revenues in the first nine months of 2003 was due, in part, to a decline in switched minutes of use of 9.6%, from a year ago, reflecting the impact of access line loss and wireless substitution. This decrease was substantially offset by the effect of rate changes associated with federal mandated price cap filings.

Verizon Florida Inc.

LONG DISTANCE SERVICES

2003-2002		Increase

Nine Months		$7.4 37.4%

Long distance revenues are earned primarily from calls made to points outside a customer’s local calling area, but within our service area (intraLATA toll). IntraLATA toll calls originate and terminate within the same LATA, but generally cover a greater distance than a local call. These services are regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) except where they cross state lines. Other long distance services that we provide include 800 services and Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS). We also earn revenue from private line and operator services associated with long distance calls.

Long distance service revenues increased in the first nine months of 2003 primarily due to the impact of sales of packaged wireline services which include expanded product offerings and pricing plans. This increase was partially offset by the effect of lower access line growth and technology substitution.

OTHER SERVICES

2003-2002		Increase

Nine Months		$8.4 9.2%

Our other services include such services as billing and collections for long distance carriers and affiliates, facilities rentals to affiliates and nonaffiliates, public (pay) telephone and customer premises equipment (CPE). Other service revenues also include fees paid by customers for nonpublication of telephone numbers, multiple white page listings and late payment of bills, and fees paid by affiliates for usage of our directory listings and the provision of sales agent services.

Other service revenues increased in the first nine months of 2003 primarily due to an increase in customer late payment fees resulting from a change in collection terms and higher revenues from CPE sales.

OPERATING EXPENSES

(Dollars in Millions)

COST OF SERVICES AND SALES

2003-2002		Increase

Nine Months		$26.9 7.6%

Cost of services and sales includes the following costs directly attributable to a service or product: salaries and wages, benefits, materials and supplies, contracted services, network access and transport costs, customer provisioning costs, computer systems support and cost of products sold. Aggregate customer care costs, which include billing and service provisioning, are allocated between cost of services and sales and selling, general and administrative expense.

The increase in cost of services and sales in the first nine months of 2003 was mainly driven by higher costs allocated from affiliates associated with cost of services and by higher pension and other post-retirement benefit expenses. The company participates in Verizon Communications Inc.’s (Verizon) defined pension plan and postretirement healthcare and life insurance plans. As of December 31, 2002, Verizon changed key employee benefit plan assumptions in response to current conditions in the securities markets and medical and prescription drug costs trends. The expected rate of return on pension plan assets has been changed from 9.25% in 2002 to 8.50% in 2003 and the expected rate of return on other postretirement benefit plan assets has been changed from 9.10% in 2002 to 8.50% in 2003. The discount rate assumption has been lowered from 7.25% in 2002 to 6.75% in 2003 and the medical cost trend rate assumption has been increased from 10.00% in 2002 to 11.00% in 2003. For the nine month period ended September 30, 2003, the company recorded pension and postretirement benefit expense (after consideration of capitalized costs) of $18.6 million, compared to $.5 million for the same period in 2002.

Verizon Florida Inc.

These cost increases were partially offset by lower access and transport costs. As part of our ongoing review of local interconnection expense charged by CLECs, we determined that selected charges from CLECs, previously recorded as expense but not paid, were no longer required and, accordingly, we adjusted our first quarter 2003 operating expenses. In addition, effective in 2003, we recognize as local interconnection expense no more than the amount payable under the April 27, 2001 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order addressing intercarrier compensation for dial-up connections for Internet-bound traffic.

See “Other Matters—Compensation for Internet Traffic” for additional information on FCC rulemakings and other court decisions addressing intercarrier compensation for dial-up connections for Internet-bound traffic.

SELLING, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE

2003-2002		(Decrease)

Nine Months		$(9.2) (2.7)%

Selling, general and administrative expense (SG&A) includes salaries and wages and benefits not directly attributable to a service or product, bad debt charges, taxes other than income, advertising and sales commission costs, customer billing, call center and information technology costs, professional service fees, and rent for administrative space. Aggregate customer care costs, which include billing and service provisioning, are allocated between cost of services and sales and selling, general and administrative expense.

The decrease in SG&A expense in the first nine months of 2003 was primarily driven by lower bad debt expense principally due to a reduction in uncollectible accounts receivable, improved collections and additional customer deposit requirements. In the second quarter of 2002, we recorded an impairment charge of $15.1 million driven by our financial statement exposure to WorldCom. In addition, lower gross receipts and property taxes in the first nine months of 2003, as compared to the same period in 2002, also contributed to the decrease in SG&A expense. These decreases were partially offset by higher general and administrative costs allocated from affiliates, principally related to rent and benefit costs.

DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION

2003-2002		(Decrease)

Nine Months		$(5.9) (2.4)%

Depreciation and amortization expense decreased principally due to the effect of lower rates of depreciation, as well as the favorable impact of adopting SFAS No. 143, effective January 1, 2003. Under SFAS No. 143, we began expensing costs of removal in excess of salvage for outside plant assets as incurred. Previously, we had included costs of removal for these assets in our depreciation rates.

Verizon Florida Inc.

OTHER RESULTS

(Dollars in Millions)

OTHER INCOME, NET

	Nine Months Ended September 30,				% Change
	2003		2002		% Change

Interest income	$	16.4	$	33.4	(50.9	)%

The decrease in other income, net was attributable to a decrease in interest income primarily due to lower interest rates and lower average notes receivable balances with affiliates during the first nine months of 2003, as compared to the same period last year.

INTEREST EXPENSE

	Nine Months Ended September 30,				% Change
	2003		2002		% Change

Interest expense	$	72.1	$	84.0	(14.2	)%
Capitalized interest costs		.5		.7	(28.6	)

Total interest costs on debt balances	$	72.6	$	84.7	(14.3	)

Debt outstanding	$	1,319.8	$	2,280.5	(42.1	)%

The decrease in interest expense in the first nine months of 2003, over the same period in 2002, was primarily due to changes in the mix of short- and long-term interest rates and changes in the levels of debt during each period.

PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES

	Nine Months Ended September 30,						% Change
	2003			2002			% Change

Provision for income taxes	$	67.3		$	77.5		(13.2	)%
Effective income tax rate		38.3	%		38.0	%

The effective income tax rate is the provision for income taxes as a percentage of income before provision for income taxes and cumulative effect of change in accounting principle. Our effective income tax rate was higher for the nine months ended September 30, 2003, compared to the same period in 2002, primarily due to an increase in the effective tax rate for state income taxes.

OTHER MATTERS

FCC Regulation and Interstate Rates

We are subject to the jurisdiction of the FCC with respect to interstate services and related matters. In 2002, the FCC continued to implement reforms to the interstate access charge system and to implement the “universal service” and other requirements of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (the 1996 Act).

Access Charges and Universal Service

On May 31, 2000, the FCC adopted the Coalition for Affordable Local and Long Distance Services (CALLS) plan as a comprehensive five-year plan for regulation of interstate access charges. The CALLS plan has three main components. First, it establishes a portable interstate access universal service support of $650 million for the industry. This explicit support replaces implicit support embedded in interstate access charges. Second, the plan simplifies the patchwork of common line charges into one subscriber line charge (SLC) and provides for de-averaging of the SLC by zones and class of customers in a

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manner that will not undermine comparable and affordable universal service. Third, the plan sets into place a mechanism to transition to a set target of $0.0055 per minute for switched access services. Once that target rate is reached, local exchange carriers are no longer required to make further annual price cap reductions to their switched access prices. The annual reductions leading to the target rate, as well as annual reductions for the subset of special access services that remain subject to price cap regulation was set at 6.5% per year.

On September 10, 2001, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled on an appeal of the FCC order adopting the plan. The court upheld the FCC on several challenges to the order, but remanded two aspects of the decision back to the FCC on the grounds that they lacked sufficient justification. The court remanded back to the FCC for further consideration its decision setting the annual reduction factor at 6.5% minus an inflation factor and the size of the new universal service fund at $650 million. The entire plan continued in effect pending the FCC’s further consideration of its justification of these components. On July 10, 2003, the FCC released an order on remand reaffirming these aspects of its plan. As a result of tariff adjustments which became effective in July 2003, we reached the $0.0055 benchmark.

The FCC has adopted rules for special access services that provide for pricing flexibility and ultimately the removal of services from price regulation when prescribed competitive thresholds are met. In order to use these rules, carriers must forego the ability to take advantage of provisions in the current rules that provide relief in the event earnings fall below prescribed thresholds. Verizon has been authorized to remove special access and dedicated transport services from price caps in 56 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). In addition, the FCC has found that in 24 MSAs Verizon has met the stricter standards to remove special access connections to end-user customers from price caps.

In November 1999, the FCC adopted a new mechanism for providing universal service support to high cost areas served by large local telephone companies. This funding mechanism provides additional support for local telephone services in several states served by Verizon’s telephone operations. This system has been supplemented by the new FCC access charge plan described above. On July 31, 2001, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reversed and remanded to the FCC for further proceedings. The court concluded that the FCC had failed to adequately explain some aspects of its decision and had failed to address any need for a state universal service mechanism. On October 16, 2003, the FCC announced a decision providing additional justification for its non-rural high-cost universal support mechanism and modifying it in part. The FCC also has proceedings underway to evaluate possible changes to its current rules for assessing contributions to the universal service fund. Any change in the current assessment mechanism could result in a change in the contribution that local telephone companies must make and that would have to be collected from customers.

Unbundling of Network Elements

In November 1999, the FCC announced its decision setting forth new unbundling requirements, eliminating elements that it had previously required to be unbundled, limiting the obligation to provide others and adding new elements.

In addition to the unbundling requirements released in November 1999, the FCC released an order in a separate proceeding in December 1999, requiring incumbent local exchange companies also to unbundle and provide to competitors the higher frequency portion of their local loop. This provides competitors with the ability to provision data services on top of incumbent carriers’ voice services.

On May 24, 2002, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit released an order that overturned the most recent FCC decision establishing which network elements were required to be unbundled. In particular, the court found that the FCC did not adequately consider the limitations of the “necessary and impair” standards of the 1996 Act when it chose national rules for unbundling and that it failed to consider the relevance of competition from other types of service providers, including cable and satellite. The court also vacated a separate order that had authorized an unbundling requirement for “line sharing” where a competing carrier purchases only a portion of the copper connection to the end-user in order to provide high-speed broadband services using DSL technology. The U.S. Supreme Court subsequently declined to review that decision.

On October 25, 2002, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit released an order upholding the FCC’s decisions that established interim limits on the availability of combinations of UNEs known as enhanced extended links or “EELs.” EELs consist of unbundled loops and transport elements. The FCC decisions limited access to EELs to carriers that would use them to provide a significant amount of local traffic, and not just use them as substitutes for special access services.

Prior to the issuance of these orders from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the FCC had already begun a review of the scope of its unbundling requirement through a rulemaking referred to as the triennial review of UNEs. This rulemaking

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reopened the question of what network elements must be made available on an unbundled basis under the 1996 Act, and will address the impact of the order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overturning its previous rules, as well as other pending issues relating to unbundled elements, including the question of whether competing carriers may substitute combinations of unbundled loops and transport for already competitive special access services. On February 20, 2003, the FCC announced a decision in its triennial review. The order was released on August 21, 2003. With respect to broadband services, the order generally removed section 251 unbundling obligations. With respect to narrowband services, the order generally left unbundling obligations in place, and delegated to state regulatory proceedings a further review. The order also provided a new set of criteria relating to when carriers may purchase EELs. Multiple parties, including Verizon, have appealed various aspects of the decision.

The FCC’s February 2003 order significantly increases arbitrage opportunities by making it easier for carriers to use EELs for non-local service at regulated prices set using the pricing formula that applies to unbundled network elements rather than competitive special access prices. In addition, the FCC’s order eliminates important safeguards that protected against this kind of arbitrage, including the FCC’s previous rule against co-mingling unbundled elements and other services.

Compensation for Internet Traffic

On April 27, 2001, the FCC released an order addressing intercarrier compensation for dial-up connections for Internet-bound traffic. The FCC found that Internet-bound traffic is interstate and subject to the FCC’s jurisdiction. Moreover, the FCC again found that Internet-bound traffic is not subject to reciprocal compensation under Section 251(b)(5) of the 1996 Act. Instead, the FCC established federal rates per minute for this traffic that decline from $0.0015 to $0.0007 over a three-year period. The FCC order also sets caps on the total minutes of this traffic that may be subject to any intercarrier compensation and requires that incumbent local exchange carriers must offer to both bill and pay reciprocal compensation for local traffic at the same rate as they are required to pay on Internet-bound traffic. On May 3, 2002, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected part of the FCC’s rationale for its April 27, 2001 order, but declined to vacate the order while it is on remand.

Several parties requested rehearing, asking the court to vacate the underlying order. Those requests were denied in a series of orders released on September 24, 2002 and September 25, 2002. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review that denial. In the meantime, pending further action by the FCC, the FCC’s underlying order remains in effect.

State Regulation of Rates and Services

Florida statutes govern the price cap plan. Beginning January 1, 2001, we were able to raise basic local rates on 30 days notice once in any 12-month period not to exceed the GDP-PI less 1%. We may increase rates for non-basic services but increases for any category cannot exceed 6% in any 12-month period unless another company is providing service in a given exchange, at which time we can increase our price up to 20% in a 12-month period. Earnings are not regulated.

Legislation was passed in 2003 that allows us to offset a reduction in intrastate access rates with an increase in basic local exchange revenues upon the FPSC approval. The offset must be revenue neutral and take place over two to four years. In evaluating the petition, the FPSC is to consider whether granting the petition will remove current support for basic local telecommunications services preventing the creation of a more attractive competitive local exchange market for the benefit of residential consumers and enhanced market entry. When our rates are reduced to parity as defined by the statute, our basic services become subject to the same regulatory treatment as non-basic services.

Management Separation Offer

In September 2003, Verizon announced a voluntary separation program for management employees. The election period for this program ends on November 15, 2003.

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Item 4.

Controls and Procedures

(a)

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our chief executive officer and chief financial officer have evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly report, that ensure that information relating to the registrant which is required to be disclosed in this report is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within required time periods. They have concluded that the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures were adequate and effective to ensure that material information relating to the registrant and its consolidated subsidiaries would be made known to them by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this quarterly report was being prepared.

(b)

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There were no significant changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting during the period covered by this quarterly report, nor were there any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in these controls requiring corrective actions.

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PART II—OTHER INFORMATION

Item 6. Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

(a)	Exhibits:

	Exhibit Number

	12	Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.

	31.1	Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

	31.2	Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

	32	Officer Certifications pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

(b)	There were no Current Reports on Form 8-K filed or furnished during the quarter ended September 30, 2003.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Verizon Florida Inc.

Date: November 12, 2003

/s/ EDWIN F. HALL

Edwin F. Hall

Controller

UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED, ALL INFORMATION IS AS OF NOVEMBER 6, 2003.

Verizon Florida Inc.

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number

12		Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.

31.1		Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

31.2		Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32		Officer Certifications pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

VERIZON FLORIDA INC 10-Q