Orefield, Pennsylvania, Residents to Benefit from Verizon Wireless Network Expansion

Orefield, Pennsylvania, Residents to Benefit from Verizon Wireless Network Expansion

Investing to Stay Ahead of Growing Demand for Wireless Calling, Data Access, and Music

OREFIELD, Pa., July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In a continuing effort to provide the best wireless service for local residents in Orefield, Verizon Wireless, the leading wireless company with the most reliable voice and data network, has expanded its network with a new cell site. The new site increases coverage and capacity along the intersections of Route 100 with Bittners Corner Road and Nursery Street, as well as Kernsville and Carpet Roads.

This network expansion is part of the company's aggressive multi-billion dollar network investment each year (more than $1 billion every 90 days), including more than $900 million throughout the Philadelphia Tri-State Region since 2001, to stay ahead of the growing demand for Verizon Wireless voice and data services. Verizon Wireless has invested more than $35 billion over the last seven years -- $5 billion on average every year since the company was formed -- into its national wireless network as part of its commitment 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 EV-DO network. BroadbandAccess offers customers the nation's most reliable high-speed wireless broadband network, operating at average speeds between 400 kbps - 700 kbps. BroadbandAccess customers in enhanced wireless broadband coverage areas such as southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware can expect average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps (a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment -- the equivalent of a small PowerPoint(R) presentation or a large PDF file -- can be downloaded in about eight seconds and the same-sized file can be uploaded in less than 13 seconds).

Strong demand for Verizon Wireless services continued during the first quarter of 2007 as the company reported 1.7 million new customer additions. The company has added 9 million new customers in the past 15 months. Verizon Wireless also sustained its best-in-industry customer loyalty -- posting a customer turnover rate of 1.1% in the first quarter, well 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 98 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 more than 60.7 million customers. The largest US wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ, with 66,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at 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.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Media representatives interested in setting up an
interview or ride-along test drive with your local Verizon Wireless test man
or woman can call contact.
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Verizon Wireless

CONTACT: Carly Irwin, +1-215-790-4342, or Sheldon Jones,
+1-215-638-5668, both of Verizon Wireless

Web site:

http://www.verizon.com/

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