Phones And Mobile Cell Site Aid In Recovery And Construction After Flooding Emergency Near Zigzag, Oregon

What:
When Clackamas County Emergency Management called for wireless service back up, the Verizon Crisis Response Team sent phones, chargers and a mobile cell site that is increasing wireless coverage in the flood recovery and construction zone near Zigzag, Oregon.

The company deployed a temporary mobile cell site called a COLT (Cell on Light Truck) to the remote area. A COLT is a self-contained mobile cell site designed specifically for rapid and short-term network response. It enhances wireless coverage so that Verizon Wireless customers and emergency personnel can make more calls, send more messages and download information.

When:
A COLT mobile cell site was dispatched on January 26, 2011.

Where:
Zigzag, Oregon at Barlow Trail Road and E. Lolo Pass Road in the flood recovery construction zone.

Why:
Verizon Wireless deploys mobile cell sites – or boosts the call-handling capacity of existing sites – to enhance its network when there is a natural disaster or other unplanned event. In the past year, Verizon Wireless has deployed mobile cell sites and other equipment to more than a dozen wildfire incidents around the country. Additionally, the company has provided more than 750 wireless phones with service to aid public safety officials and others.

Network Investment:
Verizon Wireless invested more than $64 million in its Oregon network in 2010. The company’s ongoing network investment now totals more than $566 million in Oregon and more than $60 billion – $5.7 billion on average every year nationally since the company was formed.

Reliability:
In addition to its fleet of mobile equipment, Verizon Wireless’ reputation as the nation’s most reliable network is supported by industry-leading redundancy and maintenance measures. This has proven particularly valuable during natural disasters and other emergencies across the country.

Standard Verizon Wireless network-reliability features include battery back-up power at all facilities as well as generators installed at all switching facilities and many cell site locations.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit 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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