Lots of good energy.

We say it every week, so why stop now… Happy Friday! On today’s Up To Speed Live, host Andy Choi shared the following updates:

Week in review

Monday, we looked back at all the incredible work our teams did during hurricane season, with a reminder about the power of our VtoV Employee Relief Fund.

Tuesday, after much anticipation, we welcomed Tracfone to our Verizon family.

Throughout the week and on Thursday, we shared very special George Talks Tech segments with some historic icons helping George find the perfect holiday gifts.

Two new 5G Home and Business Internet cities

We’ve been talking about how important 5G Home and 5G Business Internet are to our company's success, and it’s why we are proud to welcome Dayton, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida to the 5G family. Consumers and business customers in parts of those cities can sign up today. Our 5G network continues to grow every single day, so follow Up To Speed for more updates. We extend a big thank you to our network teammates for making sure 5G is built right.

Adopt A Unit

Andy shared a video featuring Doug Sullivan from the Global Network & Technology team about a great way we can give back this holiday season through our Adopt a Unit initiative, which benefits military members and their families. There are many ways to participate. Most importantly, log on to the Volunteer Portal for more details. Volunteer time can be taken for shopping, transporting and shipping items. For more information, click on the FAQ tab on the event site, or send an email to AdoptAUnit2021@verizon.com. You can also look for flyers in your locations with QR codes for easy access to the event.

“As a veteran myself of the United States Navy, I can tell you that this program means the world to our troops overseas,” said Doug. The last day to participate will be December 10.

Women in Business finale

Verizon Business CEO Tami Erwin participated in an incredible discussion with other women from CVS, Microsoft and Chipotle to wrap the Women in Business series for the year. They discussed the real challenges facing women today and how organizations and individuals play a role in lifting people up.

WAN comes to NaaS

We’re enhancing our Network as a Service digitization strategy with the recent addition of Cisco managed SD WAN services, including support for 5G connectivity. With these new solutions, our customers can leverage Verizon’s 4G and 5G networks, giving them the ability to scale, adopt the latest technology and remain agile to meet ever-changing customer demands.

THOR gets Popular.

Our very own THOR, the rapid-response command center, landed on Popular Science’s Best of What’s New Award list. Every year since 1988, the editors of Popular Science have reviewed thousands of products in search of the top innovations and THOR was selected as one of 10 winners in the “Security” category. It’s another example of how we’re always innovating and always there for customers, communities and first responders when they need us most.

Another big Public Sector win.

Verizon Public Sector has been awarded two contracts totalling $34.6 million with the U.S. Department of Energy. The work includes voice and data services and will involve a number of DOE facilities, including their Washington, D.C. headquarters. Congrats to the team!

Your last chance to win.

A reminder that today is your last day to enter to win an Apple Homepod Mini — a great holiday gift for you or a loved one. All you’ve got to do is follow our Inside Verizon handle on Instagram, take our #HolidayYourWay quiz and let us know your result. The quiz takes less than a minute to complete and you could soon be the owner of a new Apple Homepod Mini.

Exclusive V Team concert

Start getting excited because next Friday we’ll have a very special episode of Up To Speed with a live virtual concert featuring a mystery musical guest named… Wait, that would ruin the surprise! To hear some great live tunes join us next Friday December 10, at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT right here on Up To Speed.

Today’s signoff was brought to you by...

Thanks to Aparna Khurjekar, SVP of Verizon Business Markets and our friends at our Lawrenceville, New Jersey store for closing out this week with the energy we need!

If you have any questions, email them to live@verizon.com.

Click here for a transcript of the webcast.

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