Verizon Wireless Deploys Temporary Cell Site In Fargo, North Dakota, To Enhance Network Coverage

FARGO, ND — Verizon Wireless announced today that it has deployed a temporary cell site, or Cell on Light Truck (COLT), at Centennial Elementary School in South Fargo, N.D. to enhance coverage and capacity of its wireless voice and data network in this area. The school is a staging area for first responders to the flooding Red River which is predicted to crest this weekend.

In addition to deploying the COLT, the Verizon Wireless network team has added capacity to cell sites in the Fargo area and is monitoring the network 24/7 to add additional capacity as needed. All cell sites have remained on the air in rising flood areas in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.

The COLT is a self-contained mobile cell site specifically designed for rapid and short-term emergency response. This temporary cell site is equivalent to the highest-capacity stationary site presently in North Dakota and is able to process thousands of calls every hour. Verizon Wireless maintains a fleet of mobile cell sites for response in emergency situations, such as the floods in the Red River Valley.

Verizon Wireless’ nationwide voice and data network reliability is augmented by these temporary cell sites and other industry-leading redundancy and maintenance measures, which have proven particularly valuable during natural disasters and other emergencies. These measures include battery back-up power at all facilities as well as generators installed at all network switching facilities and many cell site locations.

Editor’s Note - Last year, when flooding threatened the Red River Valley, Verizon Wireless deployed temporary cell sites and added capacity to cell sites in the Fargo area. As a result, customers and first responders were able to communicate and stay connected. View video of Verizon Wireless’ efforts during the 2009 Fargo Floods and hear directly from customers about the importance of reliable wireless communication at http://www.youtube.com/VerizonWirelessTV.  

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 91 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: 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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