Verizon Wireless Expands Metro Atlanta Wireless Broadband Network From Gainesville To Griffin, Georgia

ALPHARETTA, GA — Verizon Wireless, the nation's most reliable wireless network, today announced an expansion of the company's metro Atlanta Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) network, essentially making the Atlanta market an almost 3,000 square mile "mega hot spot" of high-speed wireless broadband coverage. The EV-DO network expansion includes further growth in Gainesville and new service in Griffin, Ga., giving customers in those areas, and everywhere in between, seamless access to the latest high-speed business and entertainment services on their wireless phones, laptop computers and other wireless devices. With typical connection speeds of 400-700 kilobits per second (kbps), Verizon Wireless' high-speed services, BroadbandAccess and V CAST, delivers the fastest commercially available high-speed wide-area wireless Internet access service in the nation.

The continued expansion is part of Verizon Wireless' ongoing network investment, which totals $30 billion nationally for the last six years. In the month of October, the company launched BroadbandAccess in six new Georgia markets including Albany, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Warner Robins and Savannah. To date in 2006, Verizon Wireless has invested more than $160 million in the expansion and enhancement of its network in Georgia and Alabama.

"This expansion is part of our continuing focus on investing in our network reliability and providing innovative high-speed data services to our customers right here in Georgia," said Jim McGean, president — Georgia/Alabama Region, Verizon Wireless. "With BroadbandAccess, more metro area mobile customers, who demand the most advanced wireless services whether it's for business or entertainment, will now be able to take their desktop experience with them, allowing them to wirelessly access their Microsoft Outlook^® calendars, the Internet, e-mail and critical business information residing behind corporate firewalls."

BroadbandAccess
BroadbandAccess is the company's high-speed wireless broadband network geared toward mobile professionals and business customers. BroadbandAccess provides mobile workers full access to their corporate information as if they were attached to the information via a high-speed wired connection, but with the freedom of true mobility. The service gives customers the ability to connect to the Internet using a PC card that slides directly into most laptop computers and enables a download of a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment (the equivalent of a small PowerPoint^® presentation or a large PDF file) in about 20 seconds.

V CAST
The Verizon Wireless V CAST service gives customers access to short video content, downloadable music, and cutting-edge 3D games on their mobile phones. With V CAST, customers can get short video content on-demand, including current news, weather, sports and entertainment programming. And music lovers with a V CAST Music-enabled phone are able to download and play their favorite songs — all while on-the-go. The V CAST Music library contains more than 1.4 million songs. Customers can download songs directly to their phone for $1.99 and receive two copies of each song: one for the phone and one to download onto their PC. Or, they can purchase songs online for 99 cents each and download a copy onto their phone via a USB cable for free. To access V CAST video content and games, customers need a V CAST-enabled phone and a $15.00 monthly subscription added to their Verizon Wireless calling plan.

Coverage
Verizon Wireless' broadband network coverage expansion for the metro Atlanta area spans nearly 3,000 sq. miles, from Gainesville to Griffin. Broadband coverage is now available in the core of Spalding County and the northeastern portion of Pike County. These areas include downtown Griffin, US 19/41 from Hampton to North Pike and Hwy 16. In the Gainesville area, BroadbandAccess coverage has been expanded north along SR 11 and SR 23, east along Athens Hwy and west along Dawsonville Hwy. Customers who travel outside a BroadbandAccess coverage area with an EV-DO device will switch seamlessly to Verizon Wireless' existing NationalAccess network, with which customers experience average data transmission speeds between 60 and 80 kbps, with bursts up to 144 kbps.

Pricing
For a limited time, Verizon Wireless customers with a new or existing voice plan can receive unlimited BroadbandAccess service for $59.99 monthly access for Internet browsing, e-mail and intranet access. A new two-year customer agreement is required. For non-voice customers, BroadbandAccess is available for $79.99 monthly access with a new one- or two-year customer agreement. The company's BroadbandAccess service is also available on some laptops.

Verizon Wireless was the first national wireless provider to commercially launch a high-speed wireless broadband network in the United States and in Georgia.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 56.7 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., 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.

####