Verizon prepares for historic papal visit

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When Pope Francis makes his historic first visit to the United States this week, millions of eyes – and potentially, millions of mobile devices – will be upon him.

Record crowds are expected to follow the Pope as he visits Washington D.C., New York City and Philadelphia. And when they do, network strength and reliability will be more important than ever as those followers capture the events and share their favorite moments through mobile technology.

Verizon has been preparing its local networks for more than a year, adding capacity and infrastructure, and bringing in mobile assets to keep the Pope’s fans connected.

For the Pope’s first stop in Washington D.C., the company is drawing on its past experience with presidential inaugurations to make enhancements to its network, including deploying mobile cell sites, or COWs (cells on wheels), and installing mini-cells in high-traffic areas in downtown Washington D.C.

In New York, Verizon will also be deploying mobile cell sites in areas where many of the Pope’s activities are taking place, ensuring its fast-paced residents and visitors can continue to rely on their network, whether they’re waiting for transportation or walking with Pope Francis in Central Park, NY.

Finally, for the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which the Pope will close with a Papal Mass for upwards of two million people on the Ben Franklin Parkway, Verizon has invested $24 million to quadruple its network capacity in downtown Philly. New cell sites, increased capacity, a system of mini-cells and several mobile cell sites will help ensure a strong and reliable connection. What specific enhancements and upgrades does that include? Learn more from our experts here.

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