J.D. Power And Associates Ranks Verizon Wireless Highest In Network Quality In Five Regions Covering 43 States

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — When it comes to network quality – calling, messaging and data – wireless users rate Verizon Wireless highest in the United States in five regions covering 43 states, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study (SM), Volume 2, issued today.

Based on customer responses to a survey about their experiences with wireless voice, text messaging and, for the first time, data usage, Verizon Wireless ranked highest in the following regions, covering 43 states:

• Northeast Region, which covers Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
• West Region, which covers Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
• Southeast Region, which covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
• Southwest Region, which covers Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
• Mid-Atlantic Region, which covers Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

“Our performance in this and other independent studies once again demonstrates how our network performance clearly differentiates Verizon Wireless from other U.S. wireless providers,” said David Small, vice president and chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless. “We seek to provide a consistently superior and outstanding wireless experience and are committed to enhancing and maintaining our network so that our customers can connect and stay connected to calls; send and receive text messages; and enjoy the very best data experience using their Verizon Wireless smartphones, tablets and other devices. Our commitment to network quality is why Verizon Wireless is the clear choice for wireless customers.”

The J.D. Power and Associates study measured network quality among U.S. wireless service providers. More than 22,110 wireless subscribers were surveyed by J.D. Power and Associates between January and June 2011 about their experiences with dropped calls, calls not connecting on the first try, calls with audio problems, failed or late voicemails, lost calls, message transmission failures, late text messages, mobile Web connection errors, slow mobile Web loading, and email connection errors.

Verizon Wireless’ Reliable Network

Verizon Wireless has the largest and most reliable voice and 3G network coverage area in the United States*. Verizon Wireless invests on average more than $6 billion annually in its network to stay ahead of the growing demand for the company’s voice and data services. Verizon Wireless’ ongoing network investment totals more than $65 billion nationally since it was formed.

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network is the fastest, most advanced 4G data network in the United States. The company’s 4G LTE network now brings the blazingly fast speed of 4G LTE to more than 160 million Americans – more than half the U.S. population.

Stay up to date on Verizon Wireless’ latest network news, stories and information at www.youtube.com/VerizonWirelessTV or follow VZWnews on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWnews.

For more information about Verizon Wireless, visit www.verizonwireless.com.

* The company’s “most reliable network” claim is based on network studies performed by test men and women who conduct more than 3.5 million voice call attempts and more than 19 million data tests annually on Verizon Wireless’ and other national wireless carriers’ networks while traveling more than 1 million miles in specially equipped, company-owned quality test vehicles. For more information about Verizon Wireless testing, go to www.verizon.com/5g/.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 106.3 million total wireless connections, including 89.7 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 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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