IEEE 2007 CQR Chairman's Award For Quality And Reliability Presented To Verizon Wireless' Dick Lynch Citing "Leadership In Implementing Wireless Technology"

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and FORT MYERS, FL — In recognition of his role in establishing and maintaining Verizon Wireless' reputation for operating the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data networks, the IEEE Technical Committee on Communications Quality & Reliability (CQR) has presented the 2007 CQR Chairman's Award to Verizon Wireless executive vice president and chief technical officer Dick Lynch.

The award cited Lynch "for leadership in implementing wireless technology and bridging the IEEE and industry to address the challenges of reliable wireless voice and data performance." Lynch accepted the award on May 16 at the IEEE Communication Society's CQR annual conference in Fort Myers.

Kenichi Mase, CQR chairman and professor of Niigata University, Japan, said, "It is my great honor and pleasure to award Dick CQR Chairman's award this year. Dick has been an advocate of IEEE and improvements in wireless technology and quality of service. He has chaired various IEEE and industry sessions. With his leadership, WCNC 2002 and CTIA 2002 were the first IEEE and industry events co-located to bridge the information across both forums.

"He has been a vocal advocate of network quality and reliability while advancing capabilities for wireless networks. Dick is a visionary who is well regarded in the industry and his company's success in the U.S. is a direct reflection of his personal quality focus. He is the driving force behind Verizon Wireless' 'Can you hear me now?' quality campaign. His outstanding achievements are well deserved to the award."

In accepting the award, Lynch said, "While it is an honor to receive this award personally, I must tip my hat to the thousands of men and women in the Verizon Wireless network organization – including our heralded team of real-life test men and test women who test our network every day – to ensure we maintain our reputation as the nation's most reliable network."

Lynch is a Fellow of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE), the world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology. He has served as a charter member of the executive board of the CDMA Development Group, an organization responsible for promotion, advancement, deployment and future developments of CDMA. Lynch has served as a member of the Federal Communications Commission's Technical Advisory Council. He has also been awarded patents for advances in the area of wireless technology.

Recognized as a leader in advancing wireless technology and in building and operating vast wireless networks, Lynch frequently provides expert commentary for a variety of leading business and trade publications. He is a frequent guest lecturer in academia and industry on wireless technology and trends. As network vice president of Verizon Wireless' forerunner Bell Atlantic Mobile, Lynch led the industry to advance Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) into a commercial wireless offering, launching the nation's first commercial CDMA service.

At the forefront of wireless data solutions, in 1995 he led Bell Atlantic Mobile to build one of the largest Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) networks in the country – delivering reliable packet data service for critical user applications such as public safety and ultimately paving the way for mass market wireless data services. In 2004, Lynch again drove technology direction with the decision to broadly deploy EV-DO service throughout the Verizon Wireless national footprint. Building on these core technology decisions, he has led the implementation and widespread adoption of key innovative services including wireless broadband access via laptop and PDAs, V CAST Music (a rich-featured, over-the-air music download service), IP-based Push-to-Talk, and turn-by-turn navigation on cellphones, marketed by Verizon Wireless under the product name VZ Navigator^SM.

Lynch is a 1970 graduate of Lowell Technological Institute (now UMass) where he received a bachelor's and master's degree in electrical engineering. He has also completed postgraduate work at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 60.7 million customers. The largest US wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 66,000 employees nationwide. The company 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.

####