FiberTower's Backhaul Solution Helps Verizon Wireless Bring the Nation's First 4G LTE Network to Ohio and Michigan

LAS VEGAS, BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and SAN FRANCISCO, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- From CTIA WIRELESS 2010®, FiberTower Corporation (Nasdaq: FTWR) and Verizon Wireless announced today that FiberTower's cell tower backhaul solution is being used by Verizon Wireless to build the nation's first 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.  

Verizon Wireless recently selected FiberTower to support its LTE rollout in portions of Ohio and Michigan.  By utilizing FiberTower's unique backhaul solution, which includes fiber-based Ethernet services to cell sites complemented by microwave extensions to maximize coverage, Verizon Wireless will have the ability to efficiently scale capacity to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) and beyond.  FiberTower has been providing Verizon Wireless with backhaul solutions in various U.S. markets since 2006.  

"We are very pleased with our expanded partnership with Verizon Wireless," said Kurt Van Wagenen, FiberTower's president and chief executive officer.  "We believe that our exclusive focus on developing advanced backhaul solutions in conjunction with our customers positions us well to meet LTE requirements for Verizon Wireless.  We look forward to working with Verizon Wireless on their LTE deployment over the course of the next few years."

Verizon Wireless' LTE rollout plan positions the company as a global leader in 4G LTE deployment, and it is on track to deliver the nation's first 4G LTE network to customers in 25 to 30 markets, covering roughly 100 million people by year's end.  Verizon Wireless has been conducting trials in Boston and Seattle since August 2009 that have indicated that the network is capable of peak download speeds of 40 to 50 Mbps, peak upload speeds of 20 to 25 Mbps, and average data rates of 5 to 12 Mbps on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world environments.  The speeds are significantly faster than Verizon Wireless and other wireless providers' current or promised 3G network speeds.  

By leveraging its 700 MHz spectrum for LTE deployment in the United States, Verizon Wireless is capable of quickly deploying a high-quality wireless broadband network with excellent coverage and in-building penetration.  Verizon Wireless is currently installing LTE equipment at existing cell sites and switching centers around the United States as part of its extensive, ongoing investment in its voice and data network infrastructure.

Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network.  For more information about FiberTower, visit www.fibertower.com.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 91 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, Nasdaq: VOD).  For more information, visit 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.

About FiberTower

FiberTower is a backhaul and access services provider focused primarily on the wireless carrier market. With its extensive spectrum footprint in 24 GHz and 39 GHz bands, carrier-class fiber and microwave networks in 13 major markets and master service agreements with nine U.S. wireless carriers, FiberTower is considered to be the leading alternative carrier for wireless backhaul.  FiberTower also provides backhaul and access service to government and enterprise markets.  For more information, please visit our website at www.fibertower.com.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless

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