Frederick County, MD Residents to Benefit From Verizon Wireless Network Expansion

LAUREL, Md., Dec. 31 /PRNewswire/ — In a continuing effort to provide the
best wireless service for residents and visitors in and around Frederick
County, MD, Verizon Wireless has expanded its network with a new cell site.
The new cell site improves coverage in the towns of Petersville,
Burkittsville, Point of Rocks, Brunswick and Lovettsville.

This network enhancement is part of Verizon Wireless’ aggressive
multi-billion dollar network investment each year to stay ahead of the growing
demand for the company’s voice and data services. Verizon Wireless spent $300
million to enhance services and coverage throughout Virginia, Washington, DC,
and Maryland in 2007, bringing total network investment in the region to more
than $1.8 billion since 2000.

Nationally, the company has invested more than $48 billion since it was
formed in 2000 to offer customers the most reliable service available,
including wireless data services such as picture messaging, text messaging,
and the company’s exclusive V CAST service. V CAST brings video clips of TV
shows, music on demand and other multimedia services to wireless phones over
Verizon Wireless’ high-speed BroadBandAccess network.

With BroadBandAccess, users can connect to the Internet, download music
over-the-air, and access e-mail or corporate data at average download speeds
of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits per second and average
upload speeds of 500-800 kbps. For example, customers can download a 1
megabyte e-mail attachment — the equivalent of a small PowerPoint(R)
presentation or a large PDF file — in about eight seconds and upload the
same-sized file in less than 13 seconds.

Strong demand for Verizon Wireless services continued during the third
quarter of 2008 as the company added 1.5 million net new customers. For the
16th consecutive quarter, Verizon Wireless also led the wireless industry in
customer loyalty. The company posted a churn (customer turnover) rate of just
1.33%, below the rate reported by the other major wireless carriers.

Verizon Wireless tests its network and those of its competitors to ensure
the Verizon Wireless network remains the nation’s most reliable. Nationally,
Verizon Wireless’ real-life test men and women drive 91 specially equipped
vehicles almost 1,000,000 miles annually on Interstate, U.S. and state
highways, as well as major roads and surface streets in high-population areas,
based upon U.S. Census counts, to determine if voice calls and data
connections are successful on the first attempt and stay connected. Vehicles
are equipped with computers that automatically make more than three million
voice call attempts and more than 16 million data tests annually on Verizon
Wireless’ network and the networks of other carriers.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and
data network, serving 70.8 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge,
N.J., with 71,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of
Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) 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.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless