Wireless Internet Access Gets Personal

BEDMINSTER, NJ — Combining the mobility of wireless communications with access to World Wide Web-based information and the ability to easily personalize that information, Verizon Wireless today launched a new national service, Mobile Web.

The new service comes just three months after the launch of Verizon Wireless.

Mobile Web is designed to meet each user's specific personal and business needs, with a simple intuitive format making it easy for the user to customize what they want to see on their handset. Users can customize either directly from their handset or via desktop using the www.MyVZW.com Web site. The "MyVZW" Web site provides a personal home page enabling users to identify text message alerts they want sent to the handset as well as select only the Internet-based information they want.

"The introduction of Mobile Web marks a new era in the convergence of wireless and the Internet," said Denny Strigl, president and CEO for Verizon Wireless. "This new service gives users the most convenient way to wirelessly access the content they want from the Internet. At the same time, Mobile Web lays the groundwork for the next evolution of wireless Internet applications."

Verizon Wireless' Mobile Web service is designed to be the foundation for launching new information-based services. Strigl added, "This service offering is just the beginning. We fully expect to optimize the value of Mobile Web by continuing to introduce wireless access to new and exciting content and by integrating new functionality such as location-specific offerings."

Through a series of agreements Verizon Wireless has made with Internet content providers, Mobile Web customers can access a variety of Web sites ranging from personal finance and shopping, to news and entertainment. By customizing the information desired via MyVZW.com, users can receive updates on their own stock portfolio and have an alert sent when a particular stock reaches a targeted price point.

"Comparison shop, book airline flights, make restaurant reservations, receive your daily horoscope, and keep up with your favorite sports team with Mobile Web and much more," said Debra Carroll, vice president of marketing for Verizon Wireless. "Mobile Web is valuable, personal and affordable for all types of Internet users, even those who have yet to explore the wired alternatives."

Verizon Wireless Makes Wireless Internet Access Practical

For a competitive price of $6.95 a month, Verizon Wireless customers can add on Mobile Web service to any digital service plan, including the company's popular SingleRate flat-rate pricing plans which start at $35.00 for monthly access. Mobile Web customers may use their bundled minutes for both voice and Web services and can receive up to 100 message alerts monthly at no additional charge. Additional alerts are 10 cents. In addition, customers may choose from as many as six different Web-capable wireless handsets.

User choice is central to the Mobile Web offering. Currently, information from 32 branded sites is available plus information from several hundred wireless-enabled Internet sites through an agreement Verizon Wireless has signed with InfoSpace.com. (See sidebar at bottom of release for complete listing of content partners.) Specifically, Mobile Web customers can access the following tools and information based on their needs and interests:

• Messaging - e-mail - username@MyVZW.com, access to other e-mail accounts and e-mail alerts
• News, Weather, and Sports - headline alerts, final score alerts and weather forecast for selected city
• Bookmark any wireless-enabled Internet site
• Finance - manage 401K Fidelity Investments accounts, get stock alerts and trading from E*Trade, Fidelity Investments and DLJ direct
• mCommerce - comparison shopping and on-line shopping
• Personal Information Management Tools (PIM) - Calendar with reminder alerts, address book with one-touch dialing, compatible with MS Outlook
• Entertainment - horoscopes, lottery results and movie schedules
• Travel - flight schedule and status
• eCustomer Care - one-touch dial to customer care

As an introduction to Mobile Web, Verizon Wireless will waive the $6.95 fee for three months so customers can trial the service. To sign up for service, customers can visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store or call 1-800-466-4646.

Beginning today, the service is available in the following major cities: Los Angeles; New York; Atlanta; Boston; Washington, DC; Baltimore; Philadelphia; Seattle; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Charlotte; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Denver; Kansas City; Detroit; Hartford, CT; Omaha; Portland, Oregon; Sacramento; Salt Lake City; San Diego; Des Moines; Albuquerque and Tucson, AZ. Mobile Web will be available next week in Chicago; San Francisco; St. Louis; Houston; Honolulu; Indianapolis, Nashville and Knoxville, TN; Lexington, KY; Norfolk, VA; Raleigh, NC. Verizon Wireless will introduce the service in the remainder of its markets over the next few months.

The Next Phase of Mobile Web

The Yankee Group expects 48 million Web-enabled digital phone users worldwide by 2002 and climbing to 204 million users by 2005. Helping to fuel this growth, Verizon Wireless will add content and functionality to its Mobile Web service. These include location-based services, such as the delivery of coupons for a nearby retailer or restaurant directly to the customer's handset, based on specified preferences and usage trends. Mobile Web will also serve as the platform for digital two-way SMS (short messaging service), which the company plans to launch by the end of 2000. For more information about Verizon's Mobile Web service, click here.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S. with more than 25 million wireless voice and data customers and nearly 4 million paging customers. The new coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE:BEL), Vodafone AirTouch Plc (LSE:VOD; NYSE:VOD), and GTE Corp. (NYSE:GTE). The new company includes the assets of Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, GTE Wireless, PrimeCo Personal Communications and AirTouch Paging. The new company has a footprint covering nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 96 of the top 100 U.S. markets.

Verizon Wireless, headquartered in New York City and Bedminster, NJ, is 30,000 employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company in its Media Center on the Web at: www.verizonwireless.com/mediacenter.

Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ), formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with 95 million access lines and 25 million wireless customers. A Fortune 10 company with more than 260,000 employees and approximately $60 billion in 1999 revenues, Verizon's global presence extends to 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com .

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SIDEBAR

Verizon Wireless Mobile Web Content Providers:

Content Partner
Menu Category
Description of Application

E*TRADE

Online Trading

Online trading, quotes, research, portfolios, plus non-customer information

Fidelity Investments

Online Trading

Online trading, quotes, research, portfolios, plus non-customer information

ABC News

News

News stories including Top Stories, US, Politics, World, Business, Technology

Fox Sports

Sports

Sports headlines, news and scores

ESPN

Sports

Sports headlines, news and scores

Amazon.com

Shopping

Online purchases of books, CDs, DVDs, using one-click account

Barnes & Noble

Shopping

Online purchases of books, CDs, DVDs, posters and greeting cards

Barpoint

Shopping

Comparison shopping via UPC codes

Sales Mountain.com

Shopping

Interactive search of sale items by ZIP code and brand

ecompare.com

Shopping

Online comparison shopping

Vicinity Brandfinder

Shopping/Directories

Locates the nearest store that sells specific brands

GetThere.com

Travel

Flight information and status

Weather.com

Weather

Weather information

Hollywood.com

Entertainment

Movie information review, box office location information

Bolt

Entertainment

Teen oriented Web site, chat, surveys/poles, messaging

Mr. Showbiz

Entertainment

Movie and entertainment industry information

Strategy.com

Portals/Finance

Access to Strategy.com portal

MSN

Portals

Access to MSN Mobile Portal

GO.com

Portals

Access to GO.com portal

Zagat

Entertainment

Restaurant reviews and contact information

Interstate America

Travel

Provides information on services available off every exit of every interstate in the U.S.

MapBlast

Travel

Point to point directions

All Recipes

Entertainment

Menu planning, recipes, and grocery list service

DLJ Direct

Online Trading

Online trading, quotes, research, portfolios plus non-customer information

TeeMaster

Sports

Directory and T-time scheduling for golf courses throughout the U.S.

MSNBC

News

Local, national, business, and entertainment news

Expedia

Travel

Airline and travel related services

Money Central

Finance

Finance news, stock quotes, and personal portfolio tracking

Go2 Online

Directories

Directory service providing access to local services

Ticketmaster

Entertainment

Tickets to major (and minor) music, sports and other events

CitySearch

Entertainment

Local entertainment and ticket purchases

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