Verizon Wireless Customers Share One Million Picture Messages in First Month

BEDMINSTER, NJ — Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless provider and operator of the nation's largest and most reliable wireless network, announced today its customers shared more than one million picture messages in less than 30 days since the service launch on July 8, 2003. Verizon Wireless credits the success of picture messaging to the intuitive and easy to follow format - customers can take and send photos in just a few easy steps - and its award-winning nationwide wireless network. Picture messaging from Verizon Wireless lets customers simply snap a picture with their camera phone, enter a Verizon Wireless phone number or any e-mail address, type a TXT message, add a sound and hit send to send a picture message to another Verizon Wireless customer, any e-mail address or an online photo album.

"Verizon Wireless customers are proving picture messaging is a fun and useful tool with enormous potential, and the remarkable results of the service is proof that customers demand quality, easy-to-use features, and they want them on the best wireless network," said John Stratton, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. "Our customers use their wireless phones for more than talking, and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words."

Verizon Wireless picture messages can be sent from Verizon Wireless phone to Verizon Wireless phone or to any e-mail, and can be uploaded to a personal Pix Place (www.vzwpix.com), the companion Web site for picture messaging, which gives customers dedicated storage space to share, manage and save pictures. Customers can attach text, music, or record a sound to accompany the photo. Messages can also be created and sent from the Pix Place Message Composer.

Customers have the option to pay as they go for each picture message, $0.25 for each message sent or received, plus airtime, or select from bundled picture messaging Pix Paks of $2.99 per month for 20 messages sent and received, or $4.99 per month for 40 messages sent and received, plus airtime. Each additional picture message sent or received is only $0.25, plus airtime.

If the picture message is sent to a phone that can only receive a TXT message, the cost to receive the message is just $0.02, as the recipient receives a short text message directing them to the Pix Place Web site where they can register to view new picture messages. Regardless of how a message is sent - phone to phone, phone to e-mail or phone to the Internet - picture messages sent to up to 10 addresses are billed as only one message sent. Verizon Wireless customers can access Pix Place at no additional charge, where they can store pictures in their own dedicated storage space.

An extension of Verizon Wireless' Get It Now^SM service that falls under the Flix & Pix aisle, picture messaging is available on Get It Now picture messaging-enabled phones. The LG VX6000 camera phone is $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a two-year customer agreement. Verizon Wireless products and services are available in more than 1,200 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, at participating Circuit City and RadioShack locations and on the Web in Verizon Wireless' Online Store.

For more information on picture messaging from Verizon Wireless and to view a flash demo of the service, visit www.verizonwireless.com/getitnow.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice and data network and 34.6 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless 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.  

About Get It Now
Get It Now from Verizon Wireless puts a virtual software store inside a wireless phone. Customers with Get It Now-capable phones can download applications over the air and purchase them from their phones. getTXT, getIM and getEMAIL help customers stay in touch and communicate with others. getGAMES and getFUN keep customers entertained, while getGOING applications, made for today's mobile lifestyle, offers restaurant location services with maps, directions and more. View and share digital photos with getPIX, check out Web cams with getFLIX or identify incoming callers by assigning a unique ring with getTONES. getALERTS keeps customers informed while getBROWSING lets them access the Web from their wireless phone.

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