Verizon Wireless Closes 2005 With Statewide Expansions Of Nation's Most Reliable Network in Georgia

ALPHARETTA, GA — In its ongoing effort to provide the best wireless service in Georgia, Verizon Wireless, owner and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless network, has again expanded its Georgia network with almost 100 network enhancements throughout the state over the last few months. Those additions bring 2005 totals to 63 new cell sites and nearly 1000 cell site enhancements, including the continued growth of the Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) third generation (3G) wide-area network throughout Atlanta and into Athens, GA. In addition, Verizon Wireless opened five new company stores and added over 180 employees in Georgia in 2005.

"Georgia's wireless customers increasingly continue to choose Verizon Wireless. As evidence of that, Verizon Wireless customers across the state used over 11 billion minutes of airtime in 2005, a significant increase over 2004," says Jim McGean, President Verizon Wireless Georgia/Alabama Region. "We'll continue to focus on meeting our customers' growing wireless needs by delivering on our brand promise — the best, most reliable wireless network. Today, more than 21 million Verizon Wireless customers use our data products such as BroadbandAccess and NationalAccess for wireless remote access, TXT Messaging, Picture Messaging and more."

Most recently, network coverage and capacity have been enhanced in the following areas in Q4 2005:

• 49 site enhancements in the 20-county metro Atlanta area
• 28 site enhancements in the Augusta area, and a new site in nearby Aiken, SC (provides additional coverage along Hwy 278 and Hwy 302
• Savannah, GA (new cell site to improve capacity in the Savannah area)
• Columbus, GA (multiple site enhancements, including those to provide coverage along US 80 near Ladonia between Phenix City and Crawford. Also includes a new cell site to improve capacity around Ft. Benning)
• Manchester, GA (site enhancements)
• Monroe, GA (new cell site, provides additional coverage between Hwy 316 and Hwy 78)
• Covington, GA (site enhancements)
• Dublin, GA (site enhancements)
• Griffin, GA (site enhancements)
• Albany, GA (10 site enhancements)
• Cleveland, GA (site enhancements, providing additional coverage between Cleveland and Helen, GA)
  Swainsboro, GA (site enhancements)
• Blue Ridge, GA (site enhancements to improve coverage in Blue Ridge and along Hwy 5)
• Brownsville, GA (site enhancements to improve capacity in the Douglasville and Dallas areas along Hwy 92)
• Ellijay, GA (site enhancement to improve capacity in Ellijay and Hwy 52 and Hwy 108) Rome, GA (site enhancements)
• Haddock, GA (new cell site to provide coverage between Gray and Eatonton on HWY 129) Dalton, GA (new cell site)
• White, GA (new cell site to improve coverage along Hwy 20 near Bells Ferry Road before the Bartow/Cherokee county borders)
• Statesboro, GA (site enhancements to improve capacity surrounding Georgia Southern University)
• Eastman, GA (new cell site to improve coverage between Cochran and Eastman along US Hwy 23)
• Fitzgerald, GA (new cell site to provide coverage between Fitzgerald and Broxton along Hwy 206 and provide coverage along Jacksonville Hwy)
• Macon, GA (new cell site to improve coverage downtown)
• Bainbridge, GA (new cell site to provide coverage along Tallahassee Hwy (Hwy 27) between Bainbridge and the GA/FL Border line. It also improves coverage in Fowlstown)
• Cumming, GA (new cell site to improve coverage in downtown Cumming, along GA400, and at Lake Lanier around Bald Ridge Marina)
• Evans, GA (new cell site to improve coverage and capacity in Evans)
• Alpharetta, GA (new cell site to improve coverage between the Crabapple and Birmingham sites along Hwy 372, Batesville Road and New Providence Road)
• Canton, GA (new cell site to improve coverage between the Hickory Flat and Hwy 369/20 sites along E. Cherokee Road and Gaddis Road. Also, improves coverage at the Woodmont Golf Course)
• Toccoa, GA (new cell site to improve coverage in the Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa Falls Hospital and Toccoa Falls Park areas)
• Americus, GA (new cell site to improve both coverage in residential areas and capacity north of Americus along Hwy 49)
• McDonough, GA (new cell site to improve coverage in the busy retail shopping centers in Jonesboro near the I-75 intersection and improve coverage along I-75 in Henry county)

A major development in 2005 for Verizon Wireless was the continued expansion of the broadband EV-DO 3G network service into Athens, GA and throughout metro Atlanta. BroadbandAccess, available to more than 148 million Americans in 181 major metropolitan areas and 68 primary airports, is the largest high-speed broadband network in the U.S with typical user speeds of 400-700 kilobits per second (kbps). BroadbandAccess provides mobile workers access to their corporate information just as if they were attached via a high-speed wired connection, but with the freedom of true mobility. V CAST, also available on the EV-DO network, was launched in early 2005, is the nation's first 3G wireless multimedia service for consumers. V CAST delivers crystal clear short content on-demand, 3D games and music videos to V CAST capable phones from leading and respected news and entertainment sources and other innovative content providers.

Verizon Wireless has regularly invested more than $4 billion nationally each year since its inception to expand and upgrade its nationwide wireless network. In Georgia and Alabama in 2005, Verizon Wireless has invested more than $200 million in network enhancements to stay ahead of the growing demand for Verizon Wireless products and services in this area.

Demand for Verizon Wireless services was unprecedented in the third quarter of 2005 as the company added industry record 1.9 million net new customers, more than any other U.S. wireless provider. Additionally, Verizon Wireless has been recognized consistently as a leader in the U.S. wireless industry, not only for its network coverage, products and services, but also for its customer service. In the third quarter of 2005 alone, Verizon Wireless posted the lowest customer churn rate — 1.3% - among national carriers and topped more third-party surveys of customer satisfaction.

"We are committed to providing the best service to our customers no matter when and where they need service," says McGean. "The developments and investments we undertook in 2005 are in direct response to the remarkable growth in the demand for our wireless service."

The company's 'most reliable national wireless network' claim is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women throughout the country who inspired the "Can you hear me now? Good®" national advertising campaign. These engineers conduct more than 300,000 call attempts monthly on Verizon Wireless' and other national carriers' networks while traveling over 100,000 miles a month in specially equipped company-owned test vehicles. If you are interested in setting up an interview or ride-along test drive with your local Verizon Wireless test man or woman, please contact Caran Smith at (678) 339-4891 or caran.smith@verizonwireless.com.  

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice network, serving 49.3 million voice and data 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 on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

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