Verizon Wireless Forecasts Sunny Days Ahead with the Addition of Weatherbug to Mobile Web 2.0

BEDMINSTER, NJ, GAITHERSBURG and SAN FRANCISCO — Don't let bad weather rain on your parade ever again. Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless provider, and WeatherBug®, a premier online weather information service, today announced from the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2004 show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco that WeatherBug's local, live weather information is now available to Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0^SM customers.

Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0 customers can now access live weather information and alerts from WeatherBug's exclusive network of over 7,000 local neighborhood WeatherBug Tracking Stations. In addition, customers can choose the WeatherBug Tracking Station closest to them at any time -- whether they stay close to home, travel or want to view weather from a station across the U.S. -- to receive live local weather and alerts. Customers can also view WeatherBug's extensive collection of community photos, and subscribers with camera phones can capture photos of weather as it is happening and submit the images directly to the WeatherBug Photo Community.

"Weather is a factor in all aspects of life -- from where and when we go to what we wear and bring -- and WeatherBug is the company helping millions plan effectively. Thanks to our new relationship with Verizon Wireless, we're expanding our reach from the PC and laptop to the wireless phone," said Bob Marshall, president and chief executive officer of WeatherBug's parent company, AWS Convergence Technologies.

"Verizon Wireless is continuously updating our service offerings, and adding WeatherBug to the Mobile Web 2.0 community gives our customers a unique and reliable source of localized, pertinent information," said Jim Straight, vice president of wireless data and multimedia services for Verizon Wireless.

In September 2004, WeatherBug had over 21 million unique monthly users, according to comScore Media Metrix, and is unique in that it provides live neighborhood weather from an exclusive network of over 7,000 of its own weather stations across the U.S. WeatherBug Tracking Stations generate weather reports every second, (readings from others are up to an hour or more old), to broadcasters, federal and state government agencies, the National Weather Service, schools, consumers and businesses.

Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0 customers can now access weather updates, information and alerts from WeatherBug on their Mobile Web 2.0-enabled wireless phones under the Weather category on the Mobile Web 2.0 home screen, VZW Today. Mobile Web 2.0 can be self-provisioned, eliminating the need for customers to call customer service or visit a Verizon Wireless store to sign up for the service. Customers simply register for Mobile Web 2.0 service right from their Mobile Web 2.0-enabled wireless phones. Mobile Web 2.0 is available for $4.99 monthly access, plus airtime.

Verizon Wireless customers can capture weather conditions using the Mobile Web 2.0-enabled LG VX7000 camera phone. Weather buffs can use the phone's embedded camera with built-in flash and rotating lens to snap and send photos directly to the WeatherBug Photo Community, a huge community of WeatherBug users who share their seasonal weather photos or use the phone's color screen to view the latest weather updates. The LG VX7000 is available for $149.99 with a two-year customer agreement. Verizon Wireless Mobile Web 2.0 service is also available on the LG VX4500, Motorola V710, Samsung A790 and Audiovox CDM8910 and CDM9900 phones.

Verizon Wireless products and services are available in more than 1,200 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, at participating Best Buy, Circuit City and RadioShack locations and on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com.  

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 40.4 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. To receive broadcast-quality video footage of Verizon Wireless operations, log onto www.thenewsmarket.com/verizonwireless.  

About Mobile Web
Mobile Web 2.0 gives Verizon Wireless customers access to news, tools and information from the nation's top content providers. The simple, intuitive format makes it easy to access content from many categories, including News, Sports, Weather, Entertainment, Business, Email and More. Mobile Web 2.0 can be self-subscribed, eliminating the need for customers to call customer service or visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store to sign up for the service.

About WeatherBug
WeatherBug (www.weatherbug.com) ensures that individuals, schools, businesses and communities always get the most precise live weather conditions, the most relevant reports, and the earliest weather warnings to safeguard their property and their lives. WeatherBug owns the world's largest exclusive weather network, which has more than 7,000 live WeatherBug Tracking Stations and over 1,000 cameras that generate neighborhood level reports every second (other weather data is up to an hour or more old). This network powers various products and services, including: WeatherBug, the number one weather Internet application, with over 50 million downloads, that streams live neighborhood conditions to its home and work users; WeatherBug Media Services, which delivers live weather information to over 80 million U.S. households through partnerships with more than 100 local television stations; WeatherBug Education, which provides engaging weather information and educational tools to schools and colleges, including an online learning program for K-12 schools called WeatherBug Achieve; and WeatherBug Professional Services, which uses the company's unique weather network and software to provide high-value solutions for vertical industries such as energy, transportation, and first response. WeatherBug is a brand of AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. (www.aws.com).  

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