Business Professionals, Tiger Fans and Students Can Now Get High-Speed Wireless Internet and E-mail Services, and Can Download Video Clips and the MU Fight Song to Handsets
COLUMBIA, Mo., March 20 -- Columbia residents, University of Missouri students and out-of-town visitors can now have access to the Internet and to their e-mail and other data at faster speeds and can access music, 3D games and video on their phones as Verizon Wireless rolls out its high-speed wireless broadband network. With the availability of the new wireless broadband network in Columbia, Verizon Wireless customers can enjoy two of the company's flagship services: BroadbandAccess, the company's enhanced high- speed wireless service geared toward mobile professionals, business customers and on-the-go college students; and V CAST, a consumer-oriented multimedia service that offers music and cutting-edge 3D games, and news, entertainment, music, weather and sports videos.
BroadbandAccess
The network expansion into Columbia enables Verizon Wireless' business customers to experience a truly mobile office experience with BroadbandAccess, giving them access to their calendars, the Internet, e-mail and critical business information residing behind their companies' firewalls. Students can research term papers, surf the Internet, and send e-mail to friends from Brady Commons or outside on the Francis Quadrangle.
"Our BroadbandAccess service gives our customers three key advantages in wireless communication: speed, mobility and security," said Mark Crumpton, president, Kansas/Missouri region, Verizon Wireless. "With these advantages comes an increase in productivity and bottom-line business benefits."
BroadbandAccess offers true mobility with the connection speeds of a high- speed wired connection. Developed with a range of users in mind, the service enables large enterprises, small- to medium-sized businesses and mobile professionals to conduct business anytime, anywhere in the BroadbandAccess coverage area via a secure, true high-speed data connection. With a main campus covering 1,358 acres and more than 12,000 full-time employees, those doing business with the University of Missouri will surely appreciate the ability to work anywhere, anytime. Business customers, university faculty, staff and students alike can access information when they are on the road -- at customer locations, coffee houses or restaurants -- with BroadbandAccess.
Customers in wireless broadband coverage areas can expect average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps, which means customers can download a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment -- the equivalent of a small PowerPoint® presentation or a large PDF file -- in about eight seconds and upload the same-sized file in less than 13 seconds. In addition, customers who travel outside the BroadbandAccess coverage area will switch seamlessly to the fastest Verizon Wireless network available, whether it is the wireless broadband network or the network that operates the company's NationalAccess service.
V CAST
The company's high-speed wireless broadband network also enables its V CAST multimedia services, offering customers the ability to download full-song music tracks through V CAST Music, play cutting-edge 3D games and stream video clips via V CAST Video straight to handsets. With content updated daily, customers can watch dozens of on-demand videos, including breaking news, weather, sports highlights and the hottest entertainment clips with V CAST Video.
V CAST Music includes access to a catalog of more than 1.5 million songs and is the world's most comprehensive over-the-air mobile music service. V CAST Music customers can download song tracks directly to their Verizon Wireless handsets or to Windows® XP PCs.
Customers with V CAST Music-enabled handsets and calling plans can pay as they go to download songs directly to their phones for $1.99 per song plus airtime, download songs to their PCs for 99 cents, and transfer their existing compatible digital music collections to their V CAST Music-enabled handsets or memory cards at no charge from their PCs. Purchases from the handset include two copies of every song, one for the handset and one for the PC.
Network and Coverage Area
Verizon Wireless' broadband network is based on CDMA 1x Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) technology and provides Verizon Wireless customers in Columbia with speeds significantly faster than the company's NationalAccess service, which was introduced in Columbia in November 2006.
Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess and V CAST coverage area includes the entire city of Columbia, spanning north to the town of Switzer and south to Nifong Street. The network expands west to the Missouri River and east to the Millersburg exit on Interstate 70, as well as extensive coverage on the campus of the University of Missouri.
"Columbia is a vital market with dynamic, tech-savvy businesses, university faculty, staff and students," Crumpton said. "The launch of our wireless broadband network here provides our customers with access to the very latest wireless technology."
The multi-million dollar expansion entailed installing high-tech wireless hardware and software in wireless transmission sites throughout the region. It is part of an ongoing network investment by Verizon Wireless that has totaled $35 billion nationally in the last seven years -- $5 billion on average every year since the company was formed -- to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services. Last November, the company invested more than $29 million in network and infrastructure to launch service in Columbia and the surrounding community.
Verizon Wireless was the first national wireless provider to commercially launch a high-speed wireless broadband network in the United States. Columbia is the latest to be added to Verizon Wireless' wireless broadband network coverage area. In Missouri, Verizon Wireless' broadband network is also available in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas.
Devices and Pricing
Devices that take advantage of Verizon Wireless' wireless broadband network include the new V740 ExpressCard, the compact USB720 wireless modem, the AirCard 595 and PC5750 PC Card, all of which are fully compatible with both the company's wireless broadband network and its NationalAccess network (based on CDMA 1xRTT technology). BroadbandAccess also is available as an integrated option on select notebook and laptop computers.
In addition, several handsets have the ability to "tether" to a laptop's USB port with the purchase of a Mobile Office Kit. BroadbandAccess-powered PDAs offered by Verizon Wireless include the Motorola Q(TM), the Palm® Treo(TM) 700w, the Palm Treo 700wx and the Palm Treo 700p. Popular BlackBerry® options include the 8703e, the 7250 and 7130e.
BroadbandAccess is available for $79.99 monthly access with a new one- or two-year customer agreement. For a limited time, Verizon Wireless customers with existing voice plans can receive unlimited BroadbandAccess for $59.99 monthly access with a new two-year customer agreement.
Customers need V CAST-enabled phones to access V CAST Video and Music. Currently, Verizon Wireless offers nearly 20 V CAST-capable handsets, including the popular Chocolate by LG, the Motorola RAZR V3m and MOTOKRZR K1m.
V CAST Video is available for just $3.00 for a 24-hour use subscription. Customers can also sign up for the $15.00 V CAST VPak monthly subscription. Customers get unlimited basic video, but application download fees apply for 3D games and premium video. There are no airtime charges to download, stream or watch V CAST Video content.
For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit the local Verizon Wireless Communications Store at 303 N. Stadium Blvd. (near N. Stadium Blvd. and West Ash Street), call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving more than 59 million customers. The largest US wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 65,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at 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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