U.S. Alpine Championships Play Host To A Whiteface "C.O.W."

LAKE PLACID, NY — Verizon Wireless is helping World Cup Alpine ski fans "make the call" at the 2003 U.S. Alpine Championships (March 17-25) hosted by the Whiteface Mountain Olympic venue in Lake Placid, NY. The wireless carrier has installed a mobile cell site at the facility to handle the increased wireless call volume expected throughout the championship competition.

The Cell on Wheels (COW), a fully functional, generator-powered mobile cell site, will be positioned to effectively double wireless capacity in the vicinity of Whiteface Mountain. The COW has the same call capacity as a freestanding cell site and can handle both voice and wireless data service. Verizon Wireless also has a cell site located near the Olympic ski jump facility outside Lake Placid.

"The U.S. Alpine Championships will draw an exponential number of skiers, fans and media representatives to the Lake Placid area over the course of the competition," stated Gene Fassett, Verizon Wireless' executive director of Network for Upstate New York. "By situating the COW in the heart of the action, Verizon Wireless can provide the added capacity necessary to handle the anticipated significant increase in voice calls, text messages and data transfers."

Verizon Wireless' COWs have been used to increase capacity at sporting events such as NFL games hosted by the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots, and also at NASCAR races at Watkins Glen. Verizon Wireless deployed similar mobile cell sites at the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, at the Republican Convention in Philadelphia, and at areas devastated by wildfires in the West. COWs were also deployed in and around Lower Manhattan and the Pentagon following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The COW's presence at Whiteface Mountain will enable Verizon Wireless customers to send and receive voice calls and text messages and also download entertainment, gaming, information, communications, and productivity applications through Get It NowSM. Additionally, Express NetworkSM subscribers will enjoy wireless access to the Internet, email and online news services.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice and data network and 32.5 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com.

####