Verizon Wireless Activates New Cell Site Serving Travelers in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

HAMPTON ROADS, VA — Just in time for the busy summer travel season, Verizon Wireless today announced it has activated a new cell site to provide seamless coverage for its wireless phone customers traveling on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

The new cell site improves service on the bridge and above-water roadways, and provides new coverage in both tunnel sections as well.

More than 3.4 million vehicles traverse the bridge-tunnel each year, and traffic typically increases by about 30 percent during the summer months.

The 17-mile long Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel crosses over and under open waters where the Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, providing a direct link between Norfolk / Virginia Beach and Virginia's Eastern Shore on the Delmarva Peninsula.

"While our new cell site serving the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel won't have an impact on traffic patterns or weather forecasts, there's one thing travelers can count on: Verizon Wireless customers will continue to enjoy the best network in the business thanks to our nonstop upgrades," said Patrick Devlin, Verizon Wireless regional president.

The new cell site is part of the company's aggressive multi-billion dollar network investment each year to stay ahead of the growing demand in the region for Verizon Wireless voice and data services like two-way text messaging and Internet access. This investment is part of the company's commitment to offer customers the most reliable service available on the nation's largest wireless network. The company's 'most reliable network' claim is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women who inspired the company's national advertising campaign. They conduct more than 300,000 call attempts monthly on Verizon Wireless' and other national wireless carriers' networks while traveling over 100,000 miles of the most frequently traveled roadways nationwide in specially equipped, company-owned quality test vehicles.

According to the American Automobile Association's Mid-Atlantic region, during the busy summer travel months, motorists across the nation will buy 800,000 more gallons of gas per day than they do at any other time of the year. In the Mid-Atlantic region, the motorist club will tow 250,000 member's cars, fix more than 60,000 flat tires, provide more than 84,000 jump starts and help nearly 58,000 motorists locked out of their cars.

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 33.3 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.  

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