Verizon Wireless Builds Temporary Network for Nearly 40,000 Due at Boy Scout Jamboree

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RICHMOND, VA — Soon, "Jamboree City" will be constructed in a matter of hours on 12,000 acres of Fort A.P. Hill. This city of 17,000 tents will be home to nearly 40,000 Boy Scouts and Scout Leaders from across the United States. It very well could become the seventh largest city in Virginia during the opening and closing ceremonies when parents and friends are expected to quadruple the population there.

The gathering is expected to generate a significant number of wireless phone calls during Jamboree Week beginning July 23rd.

To accommodate the surge of calling traffic, Verizon Wireless is adding both capacity and new coverage to its network in the area. The company recently doubled its network capacity by adding new digital service to its existing cell sites located on either side of Fort A.P. Hill along Route 301. In addition, the company is bringing three COWs (Cells on Wheels) to the area for the week. The resulting wireless network for the Boy Scouts' Jamboree City will rival that of most brick and mortar cities in the Commonwealth.

The massive effort involves nearly 1000 staff-hours of preparation and two full-time Verizon Wireless technicians to monitor the mobile cell sites during the jamboree itself.

"An event of this magnitude relies upon good communication for safety and to keep things running smoothly," said Shirley Eisenhower, Director of Communications for the National Scout Jamboree. "We're very grateful to Verizon Wireless for their efforts."

To help facilitate communication between the 760 troops, the company is also donating 85 wireless phones to be used during Jamboree week.

"This is an important event in the lives of these young men and, no doubt, their parents," said Patrick Devlin, Verizon Wireless president for the Washington-Baltimore-Virginia region. "We're glad to be a part of it and help them stay in touch."

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S. with more than 28 million wireless voice and data customers. The coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD), including Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, GTE Wireless and PrimeCo Personal Communications. Verizon Wireless has a footprint covering more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 97 of the top 100 U.S. markets. The company, headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, is 40,000 employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com.

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