Verizon Wireless Invests More Than $335 Million in 2009 to Enhance Ohio Network

DUBLIN, Ohio, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless announced today it invested more than $335 million in 2009 to enhance its digital network in Ohio. The enhancements included building 65 new cell sites and upgrading equipment on hundreds of existing cell sites to increase coverage and capacity of the company's voice and 3G high-speed wireless network.

"While other wireless service providers played catch up this past year building out parts of their high-speed wireless network, we already had that 3G foundation in place across the state," said Roger Tang, president–Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia Region, Verizon Wireless. "Consequently, this year we focused on significantly increasing capacity across our 3G network in Ohio, enabling us to stay ahead of our customers' increasing demands for fast and secure wireless data services."

Since the company was formed in 2000, Verizon Wireless has invested more than $1.6 billion on improvements to its network in Ohio, including the following upgrades made in 2009:

• Sixty-five new cell sites were activated statewide to improve network coverage and capacity, enabling more customers to use their phones concurrently to make voice calls; send and receive email and text, picture and video messages; access the Internet; view high-quality videos; and download music, games and ringtones, while enjoying clearer reception and fewer dropped calls.
• An $80 million Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) built outside Cincinnati, through which calls and data transmissions from southwestern Ohio are processed.
• Performance-based equipment was installed at hundreds of cell sites across Ohio, thereby increasing capacity of the company's advanced 3G high-speed wireless network as well as improving its speed and performance.
• Permanent backup generators were installed at an additional 91 Ohio cell sites to ensure network functionality during times of crisis.
• The Alltel and Verizon Wireless networks were integrated in 11 counties in northern Ohio and along the Interstate 80 northwest and northeast corridors as part of the merger completion. This integration provides customers in Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Williams, Wood, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties with clearer reception, fewer dropped calls and more coverage, including stronger in-building coverage.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving 89 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with  85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (Nasdaq and LSE: 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.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless

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