Verizon Wireless Opens Doors In Blytheville, Arkansas

BLYTHEVILLE, AR — To better serve the growing number of customers in Northeast Arkansas making the switch to the leading wireless company with the most reliable voice and data network, including the nation's largest wireless 3G broadband network, Verizon Wireless will celebrate the opening of a new communications store with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Oct.2 at 9:00 a.m.

Several local organizations will be on hand throughout the grand opening weekend celebration including the Mississippi County Emergency Squad to provide free blood pressure screenings on Saturday, October 3 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Located at 3710 E. Main St., next to Wal-Mart, the new store offers consumers hands-on interaction with the latest wireless products, including Netbooks, the MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot and the BlackBerry® Tour™ with personalized service in a comfortable setting from knowledgeable wireless professionals. Customers will also be able to take advantage of special promotions including free phones and significant discounts on accessories during the grand-opening celebration.

"Blytheville and all of Mississippi County is a growing market for Verizon Wireless," says Candace Morgan, regional manager for Verizon Wireless. "We are committed to providing the best wireless technology and service to our customers and new stores in areas like Blytheville are further proof of that commitment."

New stores are only a part of the company's efforts to add convenience for customers in Mississippi County. Verizon Wireless is also continually working to increase network capacity and coverage and enhance the overall wireless experience throughout the country. Verizon Wireless has invested more than $50 billion since it was formed -- $5.5 billion on average every year -- to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network and to add new services. Already this year, Verizon Wireless has invested more than $26 million in Arkansas to advance and expand its network capabilities.

Former Alltel customers in Blytheville already have been added to the Verizon Wireless Mobile-to-Mobile Calling family, and may now call any of the more than 87 million customers without using their plan minutes. Customers also have access to high-value services such as Friends and Family® (formerly My Circle) allowing them to call any five or 10 numbers on any network for free.

Verizon Wireless is also encouraging all customers joining them in this weekend's celebration to donate their old wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any service provider to support HopeLine, Verizon Wireless' domestic violence prevention initiative. Items collected at the store are then refurbished, with the proceeds going to various local and regional domestic violence shelters.

Since HopeLine's national phone recycling and re-use program was launched in 2001, Verizon Wireless has collected more than 5.6 million phones and awarded more than $6.3 million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations throughout the country.

The Blytheville store hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information about Verizon Wireless' products and services please visit www.verizonwireless.com.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving 87.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 87,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit 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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