Purdue University Expands Classroom Experience With Launch Of Verizon's 4G LTE Network

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN — Verizon announced today that Purdue University is included in the rollout of the world's first large-scale 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

The announcement, which also includes 38 major metropolitan areas and more than 60 commercial airports coast to coast including Indianapolis International Airport by the end of the year, was made Wednesday by Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon, at the CTIA Enterprise & Applications conference in San Francisco.

"The addition of Purdue in Verizon Wireless' initial national launch speaks to the reputation of the Big Ten campus that is earning accolades across the nation for its innovations in learning and technology, said John Granby, president—Indiana/Kentucky/Michigan Region, Verizon Wireless. "The decision to launch LTE on Purdue's campus is based on the university's proven track record with using mobile technology to enhance higher learning. The opportunities that our 4G network offers businesses and higher education are limitless. Our partnership with Purdue will explore the next phase of how 4G technology can improve education across our nation."

Verizon Wireless is building its 4G LTE network with the same commitment to performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized. Verizon Wireless' laser focus on reliability is based on rigid engineering standards and a disciplined deployment approach year after year.

Purdue's nearly 40,000 students and 15,000 faculty and staff can immediately benefit from Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network this year. While Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network promises much more than speed, the first application gives individuals the ability to work at significantly faster speeds and improved latency, increasing productivity and the opportunity to get work done where their business takes them.

Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE rollout positions the company to be the global leader in 4G LTE deployment. Verizon Wireless expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5-12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2-5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments. These speeds are significantly faster than Verizon Wireless and other wireless providers' current or promised 3G network speeds.

By leveraging its 700 MHz spectrum for LTE deployment in the United States, Verizon Wireless is capable of quickly deploying a high-quality wireless broadband network with excellent coverage. The company is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States as part of its extensive, ongoing investment in its voice and data network infrastructure.

With the rollout of Verizon's 4G LTE network by the end of the year, Purdue is creating a fully integrated wireless campus for one of the best learning experiences on a United States campus, said Gerry McCartney, Purdue's chief information officer, vice president for information technology and Olga Oesterle England Professor of Information Technology.

"At Purdue, the advancement of mobile technology is critically important-both to students and faculty-and the addition of Verizon's 4G network will contribute in a noticeable way to their success," said McCartney, whose campus is also researching the effect of technology on student success.

Purdue has become a national leader in layering mobile technologies on top of traditional college classroom experiences to improve student engagement and learning. Recent technologies developed at Purdue include the Facebook academic application Mixable and a student discussion tool, HotSeat, which allows students to interact with their classmates and faculty using Twitter and text messages.

"We've built our wireless campus network to create better mobile learning and research experiences," said Scott Ksander, Purdue's executive director of networks and security. "Verizon's fast 4G network, together with the new Cisco wireless network in our buildings, gives us the ability to push out the boundaries of mobile technology."

About Purdue University
Purdue University, highly ranked among the nation's top public universities by U.S. News & World Report, is globally renowned for empowering student success, promoting field-defining research, and providing real-world applications to solve humanity's grand challenges.

Founded in 1869, Purdue enrolls more than 39,000 students from all 50 states and 130 countries. The college home of 22 astronauts, Purdue boasts leading edge innovation, a commitment to high level instruction in more than 200 majors, big-time athletics, and more than 850 student organizations. Purdue students have unmatched opportunities to perform cutting-edge research, enjoy hands-on learning activities in state-of-the art facilities, and serve internships that give them the real-world experiences they seek.

Forbes magazine ranked Purdue's home, West Lafayette, Indiana, the sixth smartest small town in America in 2009. The University's world-class education and reasonable costs also earned it a place on Princeton Review's "Best Value" college list for 2009, and a no. 4 ranking nationally in the Wall Street Journal's corporate recruiter survey in 2010. Purdue University is a public, doctoral-granting research university. Its main campus is in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue's statewide system includes five campuses and numerous teaching and research sites throughout Indiana. Purdue has a system-wide enrollment of more than 69,000 students from 50 states and 130 countries. Purdue is a leader in developing academic technologies that support student learning, scientific research and public engagement.

About Verizon Wireless in Indiana
In Indiana, Verizon Wireless has more than 550 employees and 38 company-owned retail locations in 24 cities, including Anderson, Avon, Bloomington, Carmel, Columbus, Elkhart, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, Lawrence, Merrillville, Mishawaka, Muncie, Noblesville, Plainfield, Portage, Schererville, South Bend, Terre Haute, Valparaiso and Warsaw.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 92 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 79,000 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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