Shop Smart For School: A Verizon Wireless Phone Helps You Stay In Touch

ORANGEBURG, NY — With a new school year about to begin, many parents and students are putting wireless phones at the top of their back-to-school shopping lists. They'll rely on wireless phones to manage the busy months ahead, to keep connected with family and friends, and to call for help in an emergency.

Verizon Wireless, formerly Bell Atlantic Mobile, offers a variety of affordable, high value DigitalChoice® calling plans that allow customers to choose the plan that's best for them, based on their budget and calling needs. Most callers opt for the $29.99, $39.99 or $49.99 monthly plan which offers 200, 300 or 500 home airtime minutes a month respectively, when you sign up for one year. And, for a limited time, special back-to-school savings on the Qualcomm 860 digital phone make this the perfect time to buy; regularly priced at $69.99, you'll pay just $39.99 after a $30 mail-in rebate.

Many college students who attend schools outside the New York/New Jersey metro area select Verizon Wireless SingleRate^sm calling plans which begin at $35 for monthly access for 150 minutes with no long distance or roaming charges anywhere in the U.S. With SingleRate plans, you pay the same per minute rate whether you're calling home or just across campus. Customers may purchase one of two new tri-mode phones with a SingleRate plan.

If you've decided to equip your son or daughter with a wireless phone, the following tips, offered by other "wireless" parents, may be helpful:

• Be sure your student knows how you expect the phone to be used: for emergencies only, to call home or to keep in touch with friends.

• Explain the calling plan you've selected and how wireless billing works. Dividing the included monthly minutes into minutes-per-day often helps a student understand how to use the phone and stay within the plan's minutes.

• Remind your son or daughter to keep the phone's battery charged.

• Teach your student about driving safely and using a wireless phone. Emphasize that safe driving is their first responsibility. Verizon Wireless has a variety of hands-free headsets to enable drivers-students and parents alike-- to keep their hands on the wheels when using their wireless phones. The company offers free shipping for hands-free accessories when purchased via the online store at www.verizonwireless.com.

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. and GTE Corp --now Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) -- and Vodafone AirTouch Plc (LSE:VOD; NYSE:VOD). 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: http://www.verizonwireless.com/mediacenter

####