Swoosh! Verizon Wireless Network Ready For Winter Sports Season

BEDMINSTER, NJ — With early snowfall and winter resorts and sports parks around the country starting their seasons early, Verizon Wireless, owner and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless network, is ready for increased call volumes at snowslider destinations.

Verizon Wireless' ongoing investments and enhancements of its network ensure its customers can stay connected on the slopes and in the lodges. Skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers and others who can't wait to get outdoors in winter can also enjoy Verizon Wireless' popular voice and data services including TXT and Picture Messaging and Get It Now® ring tones, games, productivity applications and more.

Verizon Wireless has regularly invested in its nationwide network to provide the best wireless service for skiers at resorts across the country. In recent years, Verizon Wireless has added new cell sites and enhanced its network to increase coverage and capacity at ski resorts from coast to coast.

To help winter weather lovers keep their wireless phones functioning in snow country, Verizon Wireless offers the following tips for all mobile phone users:

• Be sure to charge your phone frequently. Cold temperatures can run down the phone battery's charge more quickly.
• Handle your handset with care. The display cover can become brittle when exposed to cold temperatures for long periods of time.
• Keep your phone in a warm place; avoid leaving it in an outside pocket of your parka or backpack, or in the car overnight. Prolonged exposure to the cold may affect the phone's display screen.
• When bringing your wireless phone onto the slopes, carry it in an inside jacket pocket, keeping it close to your body for warmth.
• Check your phone's signal strength in a non-emergency situation to know where the signal is strong and where it's not. Ski area and back bowl coverage may vary depending on topography and altitudes.

In addition, Verizon Wireless customers can stay on top of the latest news and weather information right from their phones. Customers can find out where and when the snow will be "dumping" and if extreme temperatures will affect ski conditions by checking out The Weather Channel from The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc. on select Get It Now-enabled handsets. For just $3.99 monthly subscription on the getGOING aisle of the Get It Now virtual store, customers can arrange to receive Severe Weather Warnings and access navigation, radar and satellite maps that have panning, zooming and animating capabilities.

What to do while waiting to get those bindings tightened? On the getPIX aisle of the Get It Now virtual store, available on select Get It Now-enabled phones, customers can download winter wallpapers from National Geographic Society's Image Collections for $1.99 for a one use purchase, $3.99 for a three use purchase or $5.99 for a five use purchase.

Verizon Wireless is dedicated to delivering outstanding customer satisfaction by providing a positive wireless experience to its more than 49 million customers. The company has regularly invested more than $4 billion nationally each year since its inception — and more than $5.5 billion last year alone — to expand and upgrade the nation's most reliable wireless network.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.  

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 49.3 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.

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