Verizon Wireless Invests More Than $25 Million In The Western Portion Of West Virginia

CHARLESTON, WV — Verizon Wireless announced today it invested more than $25 million in 2010 to enhance its network in the western portion of West Virginia, the majority of which covers the state's major population centers between Chester in the far Northern Panhandle and Logan in the southern coal fields. The investment included 12 new cell sites, upgrading equipment on 56 existing cell sites to increase coverage and capacity of the company’s voice and 3G high-speed wireless network, and prepping the backbone of the network for deployment of 4G LTE across the state.

“Our company is focused on building a reliable 4G network both here in West Virginia and nationwide, but we also remain committed to improving our 3G network which millions of customers rely on daily,” said Beth Drohan, Midwest Area vice president–network, Verizon Wireless. “Customers may use their wireless devices in different ways, but they all have one need in common–a reliable network.”

Since 2008, Verizon Wireless has invested nearly $90 million on improvements to its network in West Virginia, including the following upgrades made in 2010:

• Twelve new cell sites were activated in West Virginia enabling more customers to use their phones for social networking, Internet browsing, downloading apps and music, exchanging email and text, picture and video messages, watching high-quality videos and making calls.
• Equipment was installed at 56 cell sites to boost capacity of the company’s advanced 3G high-speed wireless network and improve speed and performance.
• New equipment was installed across the network in preparation of deploying 4G LTE, which will increase bandwidth to handle more data traffic.
• Permanent backup generators were installed at 13 cell sites to ensure the network remains reliable during times of crisis.
• The company established a Cell on Wheels (COW) temporary cell site near the Massey coal mine in Montcoal, the location of the tragic explosion that occurred on April 5, 2010.

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About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 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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