Verizon Wireless Enhances Network for Its Omaha, Nebraska Customers at Men's College World Series and Festivities

OMAHA, NE — Verizon Wireless has fine-tuned its network in Omaha in anticipation of additional call volume during the 2006 Men's College World Series, which begins June 16.

The company announced it has upgraded its existing cell sites in the Omaha area, including one near Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, improving its network capacity in and around the stadium and in the Omaha area by 25 percent. The improvements mean more Verizon Wireless customers will be able to use their wireless phones concurrently to make calls, send and receive TXT and Picture Messages and download games and ring tones.

"The Omaha area will be bustling with baseball fans and visitors, and we're ready for it," said Nancy B. Clark, president—Great Plains Region, Verizon Wireless.

Attendance at the 2005 series in Omaha set an all-time record with 263,475 fans. During that series, another record was set for the second-highest game attendance in the series' 55-year history-with 27,452 fans-when the University of Texas met Baylor University.

"Based on our research, we anticipate our Omaha network will experience double the usage during tournament games than would occur during an average day," Clark said.

The network improvements are part of Verizon Wireless' continuous effort to increase capacity and augment the quality of its wireless voice and data network in Omaha and across the country. Verizon Wireless has invested $30 billion in the last six years-$5 billion on average every year since the company was formed-to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services. More than $21 million of this investment was spent in 2005 to stay ahead of the growing demand for Verizon Wireless products and services in Omaha and to begin network expansion to Lincoln.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 53 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, 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 request 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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