Verizon Wireless Beefs Up Network For Fans As Patriots' Summer Football Training Camp Opens In Foxboro, Massachusetts

WOBURN, MA — As America's NFL professional football summer training camps get underway, Verizon Wireless has added extra capacity to its network around Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts to handle additional wireless call volume as fans gather to get a first look at this year's New England Patriots.

In preparation for the fan influx, the company has further enhanced its wireless network surrounding the Patriots training camp. Recent cell site improvements have increased the strength of Verizon Wireless' network signal and calling handling capacity by nearly 20 percent, enabling more customers to use their wireless phones concurrently.

Verizon Wireless customers attending training camp practices in Foxboro will be able to rely on the Verizon Wireless network to share the latest practice-field news about Patriots veterans, rookies and V CAST customers can access short video content on-demand from leading news sources such as ESPN and FOX Sports to keep updated on the latest trades, injuries and predictions for the season, while Get It Now® customers can choose from more than 500 games, productivity tools, ring tone providers and more, to help put on their game faces before the season begins.

Verizon Wireless' investment in its wireless network throughout the New England region totaled $330 million in 2004 alone and is part of the company's commitment to offer customers the nation's most reliable wireless voice network. The company's 'most reliable wireless network' claim is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women who inspired the company's national advertising campaign. The engineers conduct more than four million calls annually on the Verizon Wireless network and other national wireless carriers' networks while traveling more than one million miles across the nation.* This year, Verizon Wireless has added coverage and capacity in southeastern Massachusetts through cell site additions in Canton, Taunton, Abington, and also deploys COWs (Cell on Wheels) as needed to add capacity to the network in Foxboro throughout the Patriots season.

*Test Man Ride-Along Program - Note To Editors And Reporters
Specially-equipped Verizon Wireless test vehicles simultaneously test the networks of six wireless providers, using a mobile laptop computer to generate phonically diverse "conversations." If you are a member of the media interested in setting up an interview or ride-along test drive with your local Verizon Wireless test man or woman, please contact David Thomson at 978-808-7700.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice network, serving 47.4 million voice and data 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 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.  

####