Charlotte, N.C., Residents to Benefit From Verizon Wireless Network Expansion

    Over Seventy-Five Percent of North Carolina Residents Have Access to

               Verizon Wireless' High-Speed Broadband Service



    CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 7 /EMWNews/ -- Verizon Wireless, builder and

operator of the nation's most reliable wireless network*, recently enhanced

their network throughout the Charlotte area, increasing network coverage in

the city and surrounding communities.



    Verizon Wireless customers will immediately see improved wireless

coverage in south Charlotte along Carmel Road between Highway 51 and Colony

Road and along Quail Hollow Road and Glen Eagles Road.



    Verizon Wireless customers in these areas now have access to the latest

high-speed business and entertainment services offered on their phones,

laptop computers and other wireless devices through two prime services

offered by the company: BroadbandAccess and V CAST. With BroadbandAccess,

customers can download a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment -- the equivalent of

a small PowerPoint(R) presentation or a large PDF file -- in about eight

seconds and upload the same-sized file in less than 13 seconds. Today, over

75 percent of North Carolina residents have access to Verizon Wireless'

high-speed broadband EV-DO service, an increase of nearly 68 percent since

2006. The company's V CAST multimedia services offer customers the ability

to download full-song tracks, play cutting-edge 3D games and stream video

clips straight to their phones.



    "Charlotte represents a vital market with dynamic, tech-savvy business

people, residents and students who want to stay connected," said Jerry

Fountain, president of Verizon Wireless' Carolina/Tennessee region.

"BroadbandAccess lets our business customers experience a truly untethered

mobile office experience with remote access to corporate data on their

laptops and e-mail on their PDAs. With V CAST, consumers can enjoy a

comprehensive selection of downloadable music, high-quality videos and

exciting 3D games."



    In an industry first, Verizon Wireless is putting customers in the

driver's seat to take the nation's most reliable* wireless voice and data

network for a spin. Verizon Wireless is the only major carrier with a

30-day network Test Drive

(http://aboutus.vzw.com/bestnetwork/overview.html) pledge that pays for

calls if a customer is not satisfied with Verizon Wireless and switches to

another carrier.



    Verizon Wireless builds its network for reliability during emergencies.

For example, 100 percent of Verizon Wireless' cell sites in North Carolina

are prepared for a natural disaster or other emergency, which includes

back-up battery power at every site, generators at switching facilities and

many cell sites, a fleet of mobile generators and Cells on Wheels.



    The company has invested more than $45 billion in its wireless network

since the company was formed in 2000. Of that amount, nearly $890 million

has been invested in North Carolina, helping Verizon Wireless stay ahead of

the growing demand for its services, like the new Nationwide Unlimited

Anytime Minute calling plans, adding new capabilities like V CAST Mobile TV

and improving and maintaining the network year-round in preparation for

hurricanes and other natural disasters.



    To meet customers' growing demand for wireless products and services in

this growing community, Verizon Wireless operates the following retail

locations:






    Arboretum                                Pineville

    8046 Providence Road, Suite B            9813 South Boulevard, Suite 101

    Charlotte, NC 28277                      Charlotte, NC 28273

    704-540-3500                             704-552-8396



    UNCC

    110 McCullough Drive

    Charlotte, NC 28262

    704-548-9510



    For more information about Test Drive

(http://aboutus.vzw.com/bestnetwork/overview.html) from Verizon Wireless or

any of our products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications

Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to http://www.verizonwireless.com.



    * Network details at http://www.verizonwireless.com/bestnetwork.

    About Verizon Wireless



    Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and

data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking

Ridge, N.J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint

venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE:

VOD). For more information, go to: http://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 http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.