Verizon Wireless Expands Local Wireless Broadband Network

ITHACA, N.Y., May 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless announced today it has expanded BroadbandAccess, its wireless broadband service, in Tompkins and Schuyler Counties, giving local customers access to the latest high-speed business and entertainment services on their wireless phones, laptop and desktop computers, and PDAs.

Customers living in and visiting the area south of Ithaca and in Watkins Glen, the Watkins Glen Race Track, Reading, Trumansburg, Newfield, Dryden, and Groton can now access their e-mail, corporate data, the Internet, and more at broadband speeds -- in their homes or on the road. They can also view and download video clips on their phones, download music onto their handsets over-the-air, play 3D games, and send large data files at faster speeds as the company continues to expand the next generation of its high-speed wireless broadband network across Upstate New York.

The company has added CDMA 1x Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) technology to several cell sites in the above areas. The company also announced today it has added EV-DO Rev. A technology to more than 30 sites in Cattaraugus, Allegany and Steuben Counties and more than a dozen sites in Broome, Chenango, Delaware, and Tioga Counties.

"Verizon Wireless is focused on providing the best customer experience, and a major part of that commitment is making sure we continue to have the best, most reliable network," said Marquett Smith, president of Verizon Wireless' Upstate New York region. "Instead of merely offering wireless broadband service in metropolitan areas or near major airports, we're committed to giving our customers the ability to access the Internet, corporate data and premium entertainment content at broadband speeds throughout the Finger Lakes area and Central New York."

Verizon Wireless' EV-DO network launched in the Ithaca area in December 2006. Verizon Wireless' broadband network now stretches from Buffalo east through Rochester, Syracuse and Utica/Rome to Albany; north to Glens Falls and south through Poughkeepsie to the New York City area; Binghamton west through the Elmira/Corning/Hornell area to Olean; and in the Ithaca area. The entire Upstate New York EV-DO network is now Rev. A capable, meaning customers can enjoy even faster speeds than before when both downloading and sending large files on the company's broadband data network.

BroadbandAccess provides average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits per second and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps, translating to being able to 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. Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess service allows customers to download files significantly faster than customers of other wireless service providers that use different broadly deployed network technologies.

"Our enhanced BroadbandAccess service gives our customers three key advantages in wireless communication: speed, mobility and security," said Smith. "With these advantages comes an increase in productivity and bottom-line business benefits."

The company's high-speed network also enables its V CAST multimedia services, offering customers the ability to download full-song tracks from a library of over 3 million tunes, play cutting-edge 3D games and stream video clips straight to their handsets with top transmission speeds. With content updated daily, customers can watch dozens of on demand videos, including breaking news, weather, sports highlights, and the hottest entertainment clips.

BroadbandAccess is available for $39.99 monthly access for 50 MB of data usage, or $59.99 monthly access for 5 GB of data usage with a new one- or two-year agreement. BroadbandAccess service also is available as an integrated option on select notebook and laptop computers. For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to http://www.verizonwireless.com/.

About 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 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 .