Verizon Wireless Network Ready For Unforgettable Service, Music, Films And Interactive Media

AUSTIN, TX — The Verizon Wireless network is ready for the tens of thousands of fans heading to Austin this week and next. Network technicians have been preparing for weeks to ensure peak performance for Austin residents and festival goers during South by Southwest (SXSW). Attendees with Verizon Wireless devices can enjoy the performances without worrying about the performance of their wireless service.

To prepare for the events, Verizon Wireless network teams have enhanced coverage and increased capacity at all of the sites covering this event including the Austin Convention Center, Downtown Austin, 6th Street and the Auditorium Shores. This concentrated effort in Austin is in addition to the more than $389.6 million Verizon Wireless invested last year in improving its network and coverage statewide, as well as the initial deployment of the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Texas airports including Austin-Bergstrom International, Dallas/Fort Worth International, Dallas Love Field, George Bush Intercontinental/Houston, San Antonio International, and William P. Hobby (Houston).

“We’ve made the strength of the Verizon Wireless network and our customers’ satisfaction with our service a top priority, as evidenced by the significant enhancements we made throughout 2010,” said region president Frank Antonacci. “We will continue to make everyday enhancements and those for special occasions, such as South by Southwest, where entertainment and technology meet.”

Verizon Wireless anticipates call volumes to significantly increase in the downtown Austin area during the conference and festival and looks forward to helping users make hundreds of thousands of successful connections every hour on the Texas network.

Festival goers flying in and out of Austin-Bergstrom International will have access to Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, which is currently available in 38 major metropolitan areas and more than 60 commercial airports coast to coast. Customers with a 4G LTE USB modem – the LG VL600 or the Pantech UML29 – can wirelessly access music, movies, and much more at speeds of up to 10 times faster than the 3G network.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s fastest and most advanced 4G network and largest and most reliable 3G network, and serves more than 94 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 82,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: 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.

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