Verizon Wireless Launches High-Speed Wireless Broadband Network Throughout Schuylkill County

Schuylkill County residents now have access to the Internet, e-mail and other data on their laptops at faster speeds and can download music, watch videos, play 3D games and more on their phones as Verizon Wireless rolls out its high-speed wireless broadband network in more than a dozen communities throughout the county. Customers can now enjoy access to Verizon Wireless' flagship services -- BroadbandAccess and V CAST -- in the following areas:

• Minersville, Frackville, Mahanoy, McAdoo, Deer Lake, Ashland, South Schuylkill, Schuylkill Haven, Pottsville, Tamaqua, Mt. Carbon, New Ringold, Buck Mountain and South Tamaqua
• Along Interstate 81 and along Routes 54, 61, 901, 443, 209 and 309

"Our high-speed wireless network gives our customers three key advantages in wireless communication: speed, mobility and security," said Christine Baron, president of Verizon Wireless' Philadelphia Tri-State region. "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."

The network expansion into Schuylkill County enables Verizon Wireless' business customers to experience a truly mobile office experience with BroadbandAccess, giving them access to their calendars, the Internet, e-mail and critical business information residing behind their companies' firewalls. BroadbandAccess 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 BroadbandAccess 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 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. To help customers stay connected, BroadbandAccess seamlessly switches over to the company's NationalAccess service if a customer travels outside of the BroadbandAccess coverage.

The company's 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 multiple PCs and Web browsers, V CAST Music with Rhapsody lets customers who purchase music over-the-air download the master copy of the songs or albums to their PCs free of digital rights management (DRM) software that restricts how and where music can be played.

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

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

The multi-million dollar expansion entailed installing 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 $45 billion since it was formed -- $5.5 billion on average every year since the company was formed -- to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services. The company spent more than $235 million in 2007 to enhance services and coverage in the Philadelphia Tri-State region, which includes Central Pennsylvania and Northeastern Pennsylvania, bringing the total network investment to more than $1.5 billion since 2000.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 67.2 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD).

SOURCE Verizon Wireless