Verizon Wireless Completes $58 Million Enhancement To Oregon Network During 2004

PORTLAND, OR — Verizon Wireless announced today it completed a $58 million investment in 2004 to enhance the company's digital network in Oregon, updating transmission sites and other technology to improve call quality, increase coverage areas and enable a variety of advanced wireless data services, including multi-media messaging.

With major enhancements scheduled to continue through 2005, Verizon Wireless has invested more than $122 million over a three-year period in Oregon network upgrades alone.

"While our investment to date is huge, we will continue to invest in our network to serve Oregon customers. Our mission is to continue to deliver the most reliable wireless network in the state, with the most advanced capabilities. Oregon is an especially important market to us given the high demand for the latest wireless technology," said Kelley Kurtzman, Pacific Northwest region president.

Network upgrade highlights in Oregon for 2004 include:

• Enhancements that expanded the company's call capacity by 45 percent in the state, enabling the network to handle even more simultaneous voice and data calls. Customer usage of Verizon Wireless' network in Oregon increased more than 40 percent in 2004 over 2003.
• Multiple additional cell sites in the state, which, for example, improved coverage and capacity in the Portland metropolitan area, Salem, along the Oregon coast, and on the campuses of Oregon State University in Corvallis and the University of Oregon in Eugene.
• Upgrades to switching centers in Eugene and Portland enhanced call capacity and network reliability.

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

The company's 'most reliable network' claim is based on network studies performed by the real-life test men and test women who inspired the company's national advertising campaign. These test men and women are Verizon Wireless engineers who make more than 300,000 test calls monthly on Verizon Wireless' and other national wireless carriers' networks while they travel more than 100,000 miles nationwide in specially-equipped, company-owned test vehicles.

Verizon Wireless' network reliability features include battery back-up power at all facilities as well as generators installed at all switching facilities and many cell site locations. The company also operates a fleet of mobile generators and temporary cell sites, or cells-on-wheels, ready for deployment.

Test Man 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 Georgia Taylor at 206-940-0385 or email Georgia.Taylor@VerizonWireless.com

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 42.1 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.  

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