Miami To Key West Linked With 4G LTE Services; Verizon Expands Advanced Network Across Keys, Florida

MIAMI, FL — Wireless customers throughout the Florida Keys soon will have access to the nation’s fastest 4G wireless network, when Verizon Wireless expands its most advanced network from Miami to Key West later this month.

The launch of 4G LTE services in South Dade as well as the Upper and Middle Keys is part of a larger-scale expansion of the services across the state.  New areas scheduled to receive Verizon 4G LTE coverage by the end of July also include communities in western Broward County, as well as the core areas of Martin, Saint Lucie, Indian River and Brevard counties.

These regions will join numerous other Florida markets that already offer Verizon Wireless 4G LTE (Fourth Generation/Long-Term Evolution) services.  Even before this latest expansion, the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network already is available to more than 80 percent of Florida’s population.

The service was first introduced in Key West, Miami and the state’s other large markets in December 2010.   

Nationally, Verizon Wireless 4G LTE covers two-thirds of the U.S. population in more than 300 major markets, which is six times the geographic coverage of its nearest competitor’s 4G LTE network.

The Verizon 4G LTE network allows streaming videos with no buffering, or downloading and viewing full-length HD movies.  Music lovers can download songs in seconds, gamers can take part in multiplayer online action, and social media types can upload photos and posts while on-the-go.  Business owners use the efficiency and speed of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network to boost their bottom line. 

4G LTE technology is up to 10 times faster than the company’s industry-leading 3G network. In real-world, fully loaded network environments, 4G LTE users should experience data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.

Verizon Wireless customers looking to experience the nation’s fastest 4G network can choose from the largest selection of 4G LTE devices, ranging from tablets such as the newest iPad, mobile hotspots, Android smartphones, iPhones and many more.

“Customers throughout the Keys should be able boil up high-speed 4G LTE service just in time for this summer’s lobster season,” said Frank Wise, executive director of the Verizon Wireless Florida network team.  “And our network teams are cooking the competition with the rapid expansion of 4G LTE all across the state.” 

The Verizon 4G LTE network has earned top ratings by numerous independent consumer reporting organizations such as “Fastest Mobile Network 2012” by PC Magazine, “Fastest 4G Network Yet” by Popular Science’s 2011 Best of What’s New Awards, and ranked No. 1 on PC World’s 100 Best Products of 2011.

For more information, visit a local Verizon Wireless store or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

(Editor’s Note:  To demo a 4G LTE device and/or service, contact Chuck Hamby at 813-615-4803 or Chuck.Hamby@VerizonWireless.com, or Ed Gilhuly at 305-807-6906 or egilhuly@leftcom.com.)

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 93.0 million retail customers, including 88.0 million retail postpaid customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 80,000 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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