Investing to Stay Ahead of Growing Demand for Wireless Calling, Data Access, and Music

Verizon Wireless has expanded its network with a new cell site in Saugerties, Ulster County. The new site increases coverage and capacity in the Village of Saugerties, along Route 9W north toward Malden and south toward Glenerie, and along Route 32 north toward Veteran and south toward Glasco.

This network expansion is part of the company’s aggressive multi-billion dollar network investment each year (more than $1 billion every 90 days) to stay ahead of the growing demand for Verizon Wireless voice and data services. Verizon Wireless has invested more than $35 billion – on average, $5 billion every year since the company was formed seven years ago – to increase coverage and capacity, and to offer customers the most reliable service available in the nation. Services include wireless data services such as Picture Messaging, TXT Messaging, and BroadbandAccess, the company’s high-speed wireless broadband network geared toward mobile professionals and business customers. It provides average download speeds of 400-700 kilobits per second (kbps), with bursts up to 2.4 megabits per second (mbps), and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps.

Strong demand for Verizon Wireless services continued during the fourth quarter of 2006 as the company added 2.3 million net new customers. Verizon Wireless is the leader in wireless customer loyalty, posting a record-breaking low customer turnover rate of 1.1% in the fourth quarter, well below the rate reported by the other major wireless carriers.

The company’s nation’s most reliable wireless network reputation is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women throughout the country who inspired the “Can you hear me now? Good.®” national advertising campaign. These engineers drive nearly 100 specially equipped vehicles over 240,000 miles on average each quarter on Interstate, US and state highways, as well as major roads and surface streets. Test vehicles are equipped with computers that automatically make more than 750,000 voice call attempts and more than four million data tests annually on Verizon Wireless’ network and the networks of other carriers.

Source: Verizon Wireless