New Mexico And El Paso, Texas Wireless Users Benefit From $30 Million Investment By Verizon Wireless

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Verizon Wireless announced today it completed a $30 million enhancement to New Mexico and El Paso's voice and data wireless network in 2005. The investment includes adding and updating cell sites and installing new technologies to improve call quality, increase coverage areas, and enable a variety of advanced services such as TXT and Picture Messaging, NationalAccess, and other applications.

The network investment, which totals more than $150 million over the past five years is also key to maintaining strong coverage.

Since the beginning of 2005, the network investments in New Mexico and El Paso have resulted in:

• Enhancements that expanded the company's call capacity, enabling the network to handle even more simultaneous voice and data calls. Network usage in New Mexico and El Paso increased more than 40 percent in 2005 over 2004.
• A series of new cell sites throughout the markets, including those that improved coverage along I-25 in between Albuquerque and Santa Fe; in Taos; Las Cruces; and southeast El Paso.

Editor's note: For network cell site images go to www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

"Providing customers with the nation's most reliable wireless network means making large-scale investments year after year," said Tami Erwin, regional president, Verizon Wireless. "We've proven that these efforts pay off with strong network performance in New Mexico and El Paso based on testing by our real life test men and women."

Verizon Wireless is dedicated to delivering outstanding customer satisfaction by providing a positive wireless experience to its more than 49 million customers. The company has regularly invested more than $4 billion nationally each year since it's inception — and more than $5.5 billion last year alone.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.  

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 49.3 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at 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.  

Test Man/Woman Ride-Along Program
The specially equipped Verizon Wireless test vehicles simultaneously test seven wireless providers, using a computerized program to generate phonically diverse "conversations" as well as data transmissions. Members of the media who are interested in setting up an interview ride-along with a local member of the Verizon Wireless team of real-life test men and women, are invited to contact Jenny Weaver at 480-763-6321 or e-mail Jenny.Weaver@VerizonWireless.com.  

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