Verizon Wireless Marks Official Launch of Its 4G LTE Service in 400th Market with Customer Celebrations

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrations are being held around the country today to mark the official launch of Verizon Wireless 4G LTE service in its 400th market – Marquette, Mich.– as well as additional markets. The company now offers its blazing fast mobile broadband service in more than 410 U.S. markets, surpassing its original goal of covering 400 markets by the end of 2012. With the new and expanded markets, nearly 4 out of 5 people across the United States now have access to the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network.

"Today, we celebrate with our customers a milestone in the growth of our 4G LTE network, reaching customers beyond major cities to include small towns and rural areas with the very best offering of smartphones, tablets and other high-speed devices in the U.S.," said Marni Walden, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Verizon Wireless, who will join the celebration in Marquette today. "Our broad national network coverage is a demonstration of our commitment to providing the best possible mobile broadband experience to our customers."

The company also plans to continue to launch its 4G LTE service in new markets and expand in existing markets throughout the rest of the year.

Celebrations at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and other retail locations will include customer gifts and giveaways, including chances to win a [ DROID RAZR™ M by Motorola ] at some locations, announcements of [ HopeLine® from Verizon ] community grants to local domestic violence agencies, special community guests and free refreshments. In addition to the customer event in Marquette, celebrations will be held today in: Gadsden, Ala.; Albany and Vidalia, Ga.; Vincennes, Ind.; Owensboro, Ky.; Monroe, Mich.; Hattiesburg, Miss.; Columbia, Mo.; North Platte, Neb.; Jamestown, N.Y.; and Walla Walla, Wash. Additional celebrations will also be held on Friday, Oct. 19, in Jackson, Mich., and on Saturday, Oct. 20, in Norfolk, Neb. For more details on the celebrations, visit [ news.verizonwireless.com ].

On Thursday, Oct. 18, the company will officially introduce its 4G LTE network to its 400th 4G LTE market, Marquette, Mich. Verizon Wireless chose Marquette as its symbolic 400th 4G LTE market to represent the growth of the nation's largest 4G LTE network beyond America's largest and medium range cities and to expand its reach to every corner of the United States. Additional new markets include: Gadsden, Ala.; Chico/Oroville, Calif.; Owensboro, Ky.; Vincennes, Ind.; Augusta/Waterville, Maine; Brainerd and Fergus Falls/Alexandria, Minn.; Hattiesburg and Laurel, Miss.; Columbia, Mo.; Grand Island, Norfolk and North Platte, Neb.; Clovis, N.M.; Jamestown, N.Y.; Bend and Medford/Grants Pass, Ore.; Amarillo and Victoria, Texas; Aberdeen and Walla Walla, Wash.; and Morgantown, W. Va.

The company will also expand its 4G LTE network in 41 markets where Verizon Wireless 4G LTE is already available. These markets include: Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Bakersfield, Fresno, Los Angeles, Salinas/Monterey/Seaside and Visalia/Porterville, Calif.; New Haven/Waterbury, Conn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Albany/Tifton, Athens and Gainesville, Ga.; Hilo and Honolulu, Hawaii; Idaho Falls and Pocatello, Idaho; Bloomington, Decatur/Effingham and Peoria, Ill.; Evansville, Ind.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Pittsburg/Parsons, Kan.; Salisbury, Md.; Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing, Mich.; St. Cloud, Minn.; Jackson, Miss.; Joplin and Kansas City, Mo.; Reno, Nev.; Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M.; Albany/Schenectady, New York Metro, Rochester and Syracuse, N.Y.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma, Wash.; and Casper/Gillette, Wyo.

Visit [ www.verizonwireless.com/lte ] for a full list of 4G LTE markets and additional information on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. For street-level detail of coverage and more, visit [ www.verizonwireless.com/4GLTE ].

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves nearly 96 million retail customers, including 90.4 million retail postpaid customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 75,000 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 ].

SOURCE Verizon Wireless

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Verizon Wireless Marks Official Launch of Its 4G LTE Service in 400th Market with Customer Celebrations