Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0 Customers Can Keep in Touch with Upoc Communities on Their Wireless Phones

BEDMINSTER, NJ and NEW YORK, NY — Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless provider, and Upoc Networks today announced that Upoc Communities are available to customers of Verizon Wireless' enhanced Mobile Web 2.0^SM. Customers with select Mobile Web 2.0-enabled phones can access the service for the latest news, sports, weather, entertainment, business and email and can keep in touch with Upoc Communities, one of the most active mobile communities in North America.

With Upoc Communities, Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0 customers have unlimited use of Upoc group messaging directly from their mobile phones. Members can send mobile messages to all their friends at once or browse Upoc's larger community to meet new people who share their interests in music, sports, business and many other categories. Fans wanting to discuss their favorite sports team, singer or hobby can find and join a group about the topic - and if there isn't a group already, they can start one of their own and invite other Upoc members to join.

All Upoc members receive a new mobile identity, so there is no need to share their mobile numbers. Members can select an identity that fits their personality and can explore Upoc Communities and find new ways to use their mobile phones while not disclosing their personal information.

Mobile Web 2.0 is available for $4.99 monthly access, plus airtime, for customers with a Mobile Web 2.0-capable device. Mobile Web 2.0 is self provisioning, eliminating the need for customers to call customer service or visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store to sign up for the service. Customers simply register for the service on their Mobile Web 2.0-capable handsets to get subscription-based premium content, such as Upoc Communities, on their wireless phones. Upoc Communities is available for an additional $1.99 monthly access, plus airtime, and customers can join by selecting Subscriptions from the Mobile Web 2.0 menu on their wireless handsets.

Verizon Wireless' Mobile Web 2.0 is initially available on the LG VX7000 and LG VX4500 phones. The LG VX7000 is available for $179.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate with a two-year customer agreement; the LG VX4500 is available for $89.99 with a two-year customer agreement after a $30 mail-in rebate.

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 at www.verizonwireless.com.  

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 40 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. To receive broadcast-quality video footage of Verizon Wireless operations, log onto www.thenewsmarket.com/verizonwireless.  

About Mobile Web
Mobile Web 2.0 gives Verizon Wireless customers access to news, tools and information from the nation's top content providers. The simple, intuitive format makes it easy to access content from many categories, including News, Sports, Weather, Entertainment, Business, Email and More. Mobile Web 2.0 is self provisioning, eliminating the need for customers to call customer service or visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store to sign up for the service.

About Upoc Networks
New York-based Upoc Networks was founded in 1999 with the vision of a service that would let an emerging breed of American mobile consumers communicate with the people and companies that are most important to them. Since then, Upoc Networks has developed the most comprehensive mobile community solution for carriers, consumers, media companies and marketers to communicate via SMS (text messaging), WAP (wireless Internet), voice, MMS (multimedia messaging), BREW, Java, and more. Now in its fifth year, Upoc Networks has more experience than any North American company in the space, and currently is solely responsible for more than 4% of all text messaging traffic in the United States.

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