Verizon Wireless Introduces Broadband Network in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Residents, Students and Visitors Have Access To High-Speed Wireless Internet and E-mail Services, Downloadable Video Clips and Songs
DALLAS, Nov. 15 / - Customers in the Rio Grande Valley can now access the latest high-speed business and entertainment services on their wireless phones, laptop computers and other wireless devices thanks to Verizon Wireless. The company announced today it has launched its wireless broadband network in the Rio Grande Valley to better serve the residents, businesses and travelers to the region.
As part of the continued expansion of the Verizon Wireless Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) network throughout Texas and across the country, customers in the Valley can now enjoy the true mobility of high-speed wireless data. Towns benefiting from the EV-DO expansion include McAllen, Mission, Edinburg, Harlingen, Brownsville, Pharr, San Juan, Alamo, Donna, Palmview, Alton, Hidalgo, Weslaco, Mercedes, La Feria, Combes, San Benito, Santa Rosa, Rio Hondo, Los Fresnos, Laguna Visa, Port Isabel and southern portions of South Padre Island.
"The Rio Grande Valley is a booming region, and we continue to invest in the area, adding a new store and cell sites earlier this year," said Luis M. Cruz, region president for Verizon Wireless. "We are pleased that our latest investment in the Valley will provide local businesses and residents with the most advanced wireless services, such as BroadbandAccess and V CAST Music and video."
The Rio Grande Valley launch involved installing high-tech wireless hardware and software in wireless transmission sites throughout the region and extends the Verizon Wireless EV-DO network to the area. The coverage area runs from US Highway 281 and FM 1017 in the north down to the Rio Grande River. The expansion extends from the intersection of US Highway 83 and Tom Gill Road to the Gulf of Mexico in the east, including southern portions of South Padre Island.
BroadbandAccess allows customers to connect wirelessly to the Internet, download e-mail and applications, and log into their corporate servers via their laptop at broadband speeds. The technology provides mobile workers full access, productivity and security, just as if they were at their desks and attached via a high-speed wired connection, but with the freedom of true mobility.
With average connection speeds of 400-700 kilobits per second (kbps), users can download a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment -- the equivalent of a small PowerPoint® presentation or a large PDF file -- in about 20 seconds.
The technology was first introduced in Texas in Austin, and is now also available in the Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston, Victoria, Laredo, Sherman/Denison, Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, Bryan/College Station and Waco metro areas.
The Verizon Wireless V CAST service -- sure to be popular with local college students and vacationers -- gives customers access to short video content, downloadable music and cutting-edge 3D games on their mobile phones. V CAST provides current news, weather, sports and entertainment programming on demand. And with access to more than 1.4 million songs, music lovers with a V CAST Music-enabled phone can download and play their favorite songs -- all while on-the-go.
Verizon Wireless has invested $35 billion 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.
Customers in the Rio Grande Valley can see a demonstration of the new services available by visiting a local Verizon Wireless store at:
o Verizon Wireless Communications Store, 4314 North 10th Street, McAllen, Texas, 956-631-8111
o Verizon Wireless Communications Store, 2017 South 10th Street, McAllen, Texas, 956-682-4111
o Verizon Wireless at Circuit City, 507 W. Expressway 83, McAllen, Texas, 956-631-5939
o Verizon Wireless kiosk at Sunrise Mall, Brownsville, Texas, 956-547-9627
o Verizon Wireless at Circuit City, 3000 Pablo Kisel Blvd, Brownsville, Texas, 956-504-2755
o Verizon Wireless kiosk at Valle Vista Mall, Harlingen, Texas, 956-412-3674
Customers can see a demonstration of the new services available by visiting the Verizon Wireless Communications Store at 4314 North 10th Street or contact store manager Juan Duran at 956-631-8111.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 57 million customers. The largest US wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ, with 60,000 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.
Source: Verizon Wireless
CONTACT:
Media,
Jimmy Duvall of Verizon Wireless,
+1-972-444-5515,
jimmy.duvall@verizonwireless.com;
or
Alison McMillon of Weber Shandwick,
+1-972-830-2812,
amcmillon@webershandwick.com,
for Verizon Wireless
Web site: www.verizonwireless.com/
