Lehigh Valley Residents Continue to Benefit from Verizon Wireless' Aggressive Network Expansion
LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Nov. 6 -- Continuing to build on its strategy to provide business and individual customers superior voice and data networks in the United States, Verizon Wireless today announced it has expanded its wireless network with the addition of six new cell sites in the Lehigh Valley. This network expansion is part of the company's aggressive multi-billion dollar network investment each year (more than $1 billion every 90 days), including $130 million in the Philadelphia Tri-State Region so far in 2006, to stay ahead of the growing demand for Verizon Wireless voice and data services. The company has invested $30 billion in the last six years - $5 billion on average every year since 2000 - to ensure network reliability and increase coverage and capacity.
The new sites provide increased coverage and capacity to the following areas:
o Allentown, Pa. - Three new cell sites increase coverage and capacity
along Cedar Crest Boulevard, Mechanicsville and Orefield Roads; along
Skyline Drive, Emmaus Avenue and Albert Street, and along Route 145,
Fourth Street, and Tilghman Street.
o Catasauqua, Pa. - service enhancements include Howertown and Bullshead
Roads and the intersection of Pine and Main Streets.
o Trexlertown, Pa. - coverage and capacity enhancements along U.S. Routes
100 and 222.
o Walnutport, Pa. - service improved along Routes 145 and 873, and
Mountain View Drive.
"Customers count on us to deliver wireless service they can rely on," said Christine Baron, president of Verizon Wireless' Philadelphia Tri-State Region. "We will continue to make these kinds of significant investments in our wireless network to ensure that we deliver the reliable and innovative services customers want."
High Speed BroadbandAccess Network Expands in Lehigh Valley
The company also announced the continued expansion of its two wide-area wireless broadband services, BroadbandAccess and V CAST, in the Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton metro area - giving local customers access to the latest high-speed business and entertainment services on their wireless phones, laptop computers and other wireless devices.
Both services are based on Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) network technology. The company's wireless broadband network is now available to nearly three quarters of the Philadelphia Tri-State Region and more than half the population of the United States.
With the latest service expansion, Verizon Wireless customers can now access the company's high-speed wireless broadband network while traveling throughout Lehigh and Northampton counties (Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Cherryville, Northampton, Slatington, Schnecksville) and into Warren County, N.J. (Belvidere, Blairstown, Hackettstown, Hope, Port Murry, Washington).
Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess features the ability to connect to the Internet using a PC card that slides directly into most laptop computers and enables a download of a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment (the equivalent of a small PowerPoint presentation or a large PDF file) in about 20 seconds. Verizon Wireless was the first national wireless provider to commercially launch a high-speed wireless broadband network in the United States. The service is also available as an integrated option on select notebook computers.
As an example of the productivity benefits the company's wireless broadband provides to mobile and business professionals, construction supervisors can capture important details about building projects and wirelessly transmit the information to the contractor; food and beverage company representatives can re-order stock wirelessly while at the point of sale, and physicians can write prescriptions, enter orders and manage other tasks via PDAs or laptops.
The high-speed network also enables the company's V CAST multimedia service, which lets customers download full song tracks "on demand" right to their Verizon Wireless phones. Customers with XP operating software can also purchase songs from the V CAST Music Store online. V CAST includes access to a catalog of more than 1.4 million songs and also offers video content on- demand, including current news, weather, sports and entertainment programming.
Strong demand for Verizon Wireless services continued during the third quarter of 2006 as the company added 1.9 million net new customers. Verizon Wireless is the leader in wireless customer loyalty. In the third quarter, the company posted a customer turnover rate of 1.2%, well below the rate reported by the other major wireless carriers.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 56.7 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ, Verizon Wireless 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.
BroadbandAccess and V CAST pricing
For a limited time, Verizon Wireless customers with a new or existing voice plan can receive unlimited BroadbandAccess service for Internet browsing, e-mail and intranet access for $59.99 monthly access. A new two-year customer agreement is required. For non-voice customers, BroadbandAccess is available for $79.99 monthly access with a new one- or two-year customer agreement. The company's BroadbandAccess service is also available on some laptops. V CAST customers can download songs directly to their phone for $1.99 and receive two copies of each song: one for the phone and one to download onto their PC. Or they can purchase songs online for 99 cents each and download a copy onto their phone via a compatible USB cable for free. To access V CAST video content and games, customers need a V CAST-enabled phone, and either add a $15.00 monthly subscription to their Verizon Wireless calling plan or pay $3.00 for 24-hour use.
Source: Verizon Wireless
CONTACT:
Sheldon Jones
Verizon Wireless
+1-215-638-5668
+1-215- 219-8890 (cell)
Web site:
http://www.verizon.com/
http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia
http://www.verizonwireless.com/
