Verizon Wireless Brings Its 4G LTE Network To The Rochester, Minnesota Area On Dec. 15

ROCHESTER, MN — On Dec. 15, Verizon Wireless customers in the Rochester area, including Austin and Albert Lea, Minn., can take advantage of Verizon Wireless’ 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, the fastest 4G network in the nation. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network allows customers to share music and photos, surf the Web, and download files up to 10 times faster than before. The 4G LTE network will be available to customers in the Rochester area extending:

• North along U.S. Highway 63 and U.S. Highway 52 to the Olmstead County line;
• Southwest on Interstate 90 and South on U.S. Highway 63 to the Olmstead County line;
• Southeast on U.S. Highway 52 to the intersection of County Road 7;
• East on I-90 to the Olmstead County line;
• West on U.S. Highway 14 to Byron, Minn.

From Austin, coverage extends north and south on U.S. Highway 218 for two miles in each direction, and east on I-90 to exit 183. New 4G LTE coverage will also extend west of Albert Lea on I-90 to State Highway 13; north from the Interstate 35/I-90 intersection for three miles; and south from the I-35/I-90 intersection to the I-35/U.S. Highway 65 intersection.

“Today we announce the expansion of our 4G LTE network in the Rochester area, along with Duluth and St. Cloud, Minn., and Superior, Wis., so that residents, small businesses and local government can take advantage of the speed and connectivity offered by the next-generation network, which is continuing to push the boundaries of wireless communications,” said Seamus Hyland, president–Great Plains Region, Verizon Wireless. “We continue to expand our 4G LTE network across Minnesota since the Minneapolis-St. Paul area launched with the company’s first 38 major markets on Dec. 5, 2010. We plan to bring coverage to our entire 3G footprint with our 4G LTE network by the end of 2013.”

4G LTE Devices and Plans

Verizon Wireless customers can purchase a variety of 4G LTE-enabled devices, including notebooks and net books; hotspots and modems; and smartphones and tablets, such as the two new DROID XYBOARD tablets by Motorola, to connect to the largest 4G LTE network in the nation. Details on each device can be found at www.verizonwireless.com/4GLTE and information on plans and pricing is available at www.verizonwireless.com/plans.

4G LTE Coverage and Speed

The Verizon 4G LTE network is the largest 4G LTE network in the nation, now covering more than 200 million people in 190 markets across the United States. In addition to launching its network in the Rochester area on Dec. 15, the company is adding 10 other new markets.

In real-world, fully loaded network environments, Verizon Wireless 4G LTE customers should experience average data rates of five to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and two to five Mbps on the uplink.

When customers travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, 4G LTE devices automatically connect to Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to coast. Verizon Wireless’ 3G network is the most reliable high-speed data network in the country and allows customers in 3G coverage areas who purchase 4G LTE devices today to take advantage of 4G LTE speeds when the faster network becomes available in their city, or when they travel to an area already covered by 4G LTE.

For more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte. Coverage maps will be available online at launch.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 107.7 million total wireless connections, including 90.7 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with nearly 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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