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Verizon Wireless Invests More than $300 Million in New England Network Enhancements in 2005
WOBURN, Mass., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless today announced that it has completed well over $300 million in enhancements to its New England wireless voice and data network in 2005. The local investment, part of more than $25 billion invested nationwide over the past five years, included adding and updating cell sites and opening new switching facilities in Hooksett, New Hampshire and Windsor, Connecticut to improve call handling capacity and call quality, increase coverage and expand advanced data services like wide-area wireless broadband access, text and video messaging and other applications for businesses and consumers.
The company also continued to invest in redundancy capabilities designed to keep the network operating during power outages and in its rigorous network quality assurance program -- daily testing designed to analyze network reliability and assist the company in targeting improvements.
"Reliable wireless networks are not built overnight," said Bob Stott, Verizon Wireless' New England region president. "While our competitors focus on integrating incompatible networks we will continue to efficiently invest in network enhancements to deliver what our customers want -- the best, most reliable wireless voice and data network."
During 2005, test results consistently showed that Verizon Wireless continued to make the best even better with continued year-over-year performance improvements in both its Voice and Data networks throughout New England.
As part of its ongoing region-wide investment in New England, the following network enhancements were made in 2005:
* More than 700 existing cell sites in New England were upgraded to
introduce the company's EV-DO high-speed wireless broadband service,
called BroadbandAccess. In New England, Verizon Wireless expanded
BroabandAccess, the nation's largest high-speed wireless broadband
network, to more than 67% of the region's population, with plans for
additional regional expansion in 2006. BroadbandAccess is available to
more than 150 million Americans in 181 major metropolitan areas.
* In early 2005, the company's V CAST consumer service, enabled by the
BroadbandAccess (EV-DO) network, launched in the New England region.
The industry's first wireless broadband multimedia service for
consumers enables high-speed downloads of video clips, games and other
applications onto wireless phones and PDAs. In January 2006, Verizon
Wireless launched V CAST Music providing music lovers with the ability
to download music over the air directly to their wireless phones.
* Highlights of new cell site activations, providing improved coverage and
capacity, in New England include:
-- Eastern MA: Dorchester (Upham's Corner), Quincy, Waltham, Weston,
Lowell, Chelmsford, Leominster, and Leicester. New Bedford down to
Dartmouth, including UMASS Dartmouth, saw improvement with three new
cell sites. Cape Cod benefited with six new sites: Barnstable,
Dennisport, Falmouth, Mashpee (2 sites), and Provincetown.
-- Western MA: Expanded service into Great Barrington and Wilbraham.
Added two new sites in Southwick and one in Holyoke near the Holyoke
Mall. Improved coverage along the Mass Pike with two new sites and
one in Florence covering Smith College.
-- CT: Improved service along Route 44 near UCONN, added two new cell
sites in Somers and three sites in the Monroe and Newtown area.
Improved coverage in Salem, North Stonington between Route 95 and
Foxwoods, Buckland (near the Buckland Mall), as well as Route 202
between Torrington and New Hartford.
-- RI: Providence & Warwick.
-- NH: Northeast area of Manchester, Concord, Route 4 through
Nottingham, and Jackson (Wildcat Ski Area)
-- ME: Expanded service with five new cell sites in York County focused
on improving coverage and capacity along Routes 111 and 202. The
company now provides service from Biddeford through Sanford to
Rochester, New Hampshire. Service extensions included Route 95 from
Gardner to Augusta, and Sagadahoc County through Woolwich along
Route 1.
-- VT: Expanded service on Route 91 with two sites in Ryegate, a site in
Fairlee and a second site in White River Junction. Additional sites
were activated in Lyndon and South Burlington.
* Verizon Wireless added numerous cell sites and significantly increased
call-handling capacity on existing cell sites, providing the benefits
of expanded wireless coverage and fewer blocked or dropped calls. The
enhancements also enabled more customers to use their wireless phones
concurrently at large-scale public gatherings such as at New England
Patriots and Boston Red Sox games in Foxboro and Boston, Massachusetts,
the Buick Championship golf event in Cromwell, Connecticut, the
Brunswick Air Show in Brunswick, Maine, Bike Week in Laconia, New
Hampshire, and at Otis Air Force Base to support evacuees from
Hurricane Katrina. Additional cell sites and upgrades to existing
sites' call-handling capabilities are planned for 2006.
* The company installed additional generators at cell sites throughout the
New England Region. More than 90 percent of Verizon Wireless' cell
sites in the New England region have permanent generators and every
cell site has hours of battery backup to keep the network operating and
customer's calls going through during commercial power outages. The
company also owns a fleet of portable generators that can be deployed
to provide power during extended power outages or emergency situations.
Last year, Verizon Wireless's team of 60 real-life test men and women made more than 3.6 million calls and traveled more than 1.2 million miles nationwide, testing the company's network on frequently traveled roadways. The company's reputation for having the most reliable national network is based on studies performed by these real-life test men and women who inspired the company's national television advertising campaign.
Demand for Verizon Wireless services continued to grow during 2005 as the company added nearly 7.5 million net new customers. Verizon Wireless now serves 51.3 million customers nationwide.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 51.3 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at 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.
First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact:
Verizon Wireless
CONTACT: Michael Murphy of Verizon Wireless, +1-781-932-1213, or DavidThomson for Verizon Wireless, +1-978-808-7700
Web site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/
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