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Verizon Wireless' Post-Gustav Test Drive Results Show Company Leading With Best Network

Posted on: Friday, 5 September 2008, 15:00 CDT

HOUSTON, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless today announced that its network is operating at or near 100 percent throughout the Gulf Coast, particularly in the cities hardest hit by Hurricane Gustav.

Year-Round Focus on Reliability

With a relentless focus on reliability and severe weather preparedness, the company's Test Men and Women travel from coast to coast conducting more than 3 million voice call attempts and more than 16 million data tests annually on the Verizon Wireless network and the networks of competitors. The collected data helps Verizon Wireless plan the company's network improvement program, including placement of new cellular sites and expansion of existing call capabilities in growing communities. Over the past year, Verizon Wireless spent $6.5 billion to build and expand its nationwide network.

Gulf Coast Test Drive Results

The company's own test drive results in the Gulf Coast show the long-standing network investment resulted in strong, sustaining coverage across the region in the wake of Hurricane Gustav. Here's an overview of the results for test drives Verizon Wireless conducted beginning Tuesday, Sept. 2 (afternoon) through Wednesday, Sept. 3:

New Orleans -- Voice Testing [Miles driven: 89, Sept. 2] Test Performed VZW Company A Company B Company C Company D Percentage of Successful Calls 96.8% 85% 83.9% 93.4% 81.3% New Orleans -- Data Testing [Miles driven: 89, Sept. 2] Test VZW VZW Company Company Company Company Company Company Performed 1X EV-DO A A B B C D High High Speed Speed Percentage of Successful Data Calls 100% 100% 63% 93% 96.3% 93.5% 76.9% 87.5% Baton Rouge, La. -- Voice Testing [Miles driven: 176, Sept. 2] Test Performed VZW Company A Company B Company C Company D Percentage of Successful Calls 94.6% 76.3% 79.1% 81.1% 77.2% Baton Rouge, La. -- Data Testing [Miles driven: 176, Sept. 2] Test VZW VZW Company Company Company Company Company Company Performed 1X EV-DO A A B B C D High High Speed Speed Percentage of Successful Data Calls 100% 96.3% 27.9% 95.5% 95.2% 87.9% 44.2% 62.2% Houma, La. -- Voice Testing [Miles driven: 112, Sept. 3] Test Performed VZW Company A Company B Company C Company D Percentage of Successful Calls 100% 64.6% 81.5% 57.4% 71.9% Houma, La. -- Data Testing [Miles driven: 112, Sept. 3] Test VZW VZW Company Company Company Company Company Company Performed 1X EV-DO A A B B C D High High Speed Speed Percentage of Successful Data Calls 100% 100% 19.4% 36.8% 94.4% 35.7% 1.6% 56.5%

"Our network yielded strong, solid wireless coverage during and after Hurricane Gustav because of our continuous focus on the network," said Kay Henze, Houston/Gulf Coast region president for Verizon Wireless. "Verizon Wireless works around the clock to build, prepare and enhance its network so that consumers can rely on their wireless service, especially in times of crisis."

History of Reliability

During Hurricane Katrina, Verizon Wireless averaged a 90 percent call completion rate during the days and weeks following the storm, while the closest competitor's call completion rate was 79 percent, according to the company's own test drives during 16 days from Sept. 1-20, 2005.

Verizon Wireless carried out a variety of efforts before hurricane season to further strengthen and enhance its network, including a comprehensive emergency system with several command centers in the Gulf Coast, enhancements to its switching centers, over 50 new cell sites and a $157 million investment, to name a few.

Further, the company's robust network-strengthening efforts are part of its continuous investment in the Gulf Coast region. Nationally, Verizon Wireless has spent about $5.5 billion annually to enhance its digital wireless network and more than $45 billion since 2000.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: http://www.verizonwireless.com/. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Verizon Wireless

CONTACT: Sheryl Sellaway, +1-404-695-5564,Sheryl.Sellaway@verizonwireless.com, or Gretchen LeJeune, +1-713-204-2100,Gretchen.LeJeune@verizonwireless.com, both of Verizon Wireless

Web site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia

Source: PRNewswire

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