Verizon Wireless Completes $3.4 Million Upgrade to Evansville, Indiana Network Facility

EVANSVILLE, IN — Verizon Wireless announced today that it recently completed a $3.4 million expansion and upgrade of its Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) to further increase the reliability of its network for its customers.

The Evansville area MTSO, one of four in Indiana, houses the electronics that run much of Verizon Wireless' network in 29 counties in southern Indiana and northwestern Kentucky and covers a geographic territory of more than 12,000 square miles.

As part of the investment, Verizon Wireless enhanced its backup power systems at the state-of-the-art MTSO to provide seven days of uninterrupted service in the event of a power outage. Within 12—15 seconds of losing power at the facility, the MTSO's 6,000-gallon fuel generator can assume the network activity load without any noticeable interruption to customers.

In the unlikelihood that a power outage extends beyond the seven days, the MTSO is now equipped with enough backup battery power to keep the building operational for an additional 18 hours, giving Verizon Wireless' network team ample time to refuel the generator and continue providing customers with uninterrupted service. The MTSO also houses 500 tons of air conditioners that keep the entire system operational.

"Our MTSO is the lifeline to our entire network across southern Indiana and northwestern Kentucky," said Terry Parkinson, network operations manager for Verizon Wireless. "Every call and data connection made and received by our customers in this geographic area is processed within this facility."

With this multi-million dollar investment, the MTSO has nearly quadrupled in size to 16,000 square feet to accommodate the growing demand for products and services by an increasing number of Indiana and Kentucky customers. The expanded facility, which is capable of processing more than three million calls daily, also houses new equipment and technology to enable a variety of advanced wireless services such as wireless Internet access, TXT, Picture and Video Messaging and other applications.

"As the backbone of our wireless network, this newly expanded and upgraded MTSO ensures that Verizon Wireless has the capacity to accommodate our customer needs-both in times of normalcy and in the event of an emergency," said Greg Haller, president—Indiana/ Kentucky/Michigan Region, Verizon Wireless. "We are committed to delivering the most reliable wireless network, and our company will continue to invest in network improvements locally and across the country."

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 43.8 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, N.J., 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 preview and receive broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.  

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