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Verizon Wireless Launches High-Speed Wireless Broadband Network Throughout Erie County in Pennsylvania

Posted on: Thursday, 2 April 2009, 10:26 CDT

High-Speed Network Gives Verizon Wireless Customers Access to Fast Wireless Internet, Email, Mobile Music, Videos and More on Their Laptops and Phones

ERIE, Pa., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless announced today that it has expanded the national rollout of its 3G high-speed wireless network to Erie County. The wireless broadband network enables Verizon Wireless customers to access the Internet, email, mobile music, videos and more from their laptops and phones.

The network expansion covers the following communities:

• Waterford
• Union City
• Corry
• Fairview
• Girard
• West Springfield
• Edinboro
• North East

The expansion improves data coverage for community residents and visitors in the county along the following major roadways:

• East along Interstate 90 from West Springfield to North East;
• South along Interstate 79 from Presque Isle Bay through Erie to Corry;
• East along State Route 6 from Union City to Corry;
• South along State Route 19 from State Route 20 to Waterford.

Adding this high-speed broadband wireless network to the 26 cell sites in Erie County follows a network investment of more than $217 million network investment made in Pennsylvania last year.

"Our high-speed wireless network gives our customers three key advantages in wireless communication: speed, mobility and security," said Roger Tang, President-Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia Region, Verizon Wireless. "With these advantages, business customers and mobile professionals can increase productivity and see bottom-line business benefits. In addition, our V CAST services, such as V CAST Music with Rhapsody, help keep customers entertained while on the go--on the same devices they carry with them every day."

Mobile Broadband

The rollout of this 3G wireless network into Erie County enables Verizon Wireless' business customers here to enjoy a truly mobile office experience with Mobile Broadband, giving them access to their calendars, the Internet, email and critical business information residing behind their companies' firewalls. Mobile Broadband was developed with a range of users in mind and enables large enterprises, small to medium-sized businesses and mobile professionals to conduct business anytime, anywhere in the Mobile Broadband coverage area via a secure, true high-speed data connection.

Customers in wireless broadband coverage areas can expect average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps, which means customers can download a 1 Megabyte email 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. To help customers stay connected, Mobile Broadband seamlessly switches over to the company's NationalAccess service if a customer travels outside the Mobile Broadband coverage.

V CAST Music with Rhapsody

The company's broadband network powers its V CAST Music with Rhapsody service, which combines Verizon Wireless' world-class, over-the-air mobile music service with Rhapsody's leading desktop solution. Delivering unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players, and online on up to three PCs, V CAST Music with Rhapsody lets customers who purchase music over-the-air download the master copy of the songs to their PCs free of digital rights management (DRM) software.

V CAST

Verizon Wireless' V CAST service offers customers the ability to play cutting-edge 3D games and stream video clips straight to their handsets. V CAST provides content updated daily so customers can watch dozens of on-demand videos, including breaking news, weather, sports highlights and the hottest entertainment clips.

Network Technology and Investment

Verizon Wireless' broadband network is based on CDMA 1x Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) technology and provides customers in the area with speeds significantly faster than the company's NationalAccess service.

The multi-million dollar expansion includes the installation of high-tech wireless hardware and software in wireless transmission sites throughout the region. It is part of an ongoing network investment by Verizon Wireless, which has invested more than $50 billion since it was formed--$5.5 billion on average every year--to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving more than 80 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit 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 www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless

Source: PR Newswire

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