Verizon Wireless Expands Its 4G LTE Network in Los Angeles and San Diego Areas on Oct. 20

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On Oct. 20, more Verizon Wireless customers across the Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas can take advantage of Verizon Wireless' 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, the fastest and most reliable 4G network in the nation.  In the greater Los Angeles area, the expansion includes communities in the following locations:

• East of Norco to Riverside and portions of Moreno Valley
• South of Moreno Valley to Woodcrest, Perris and Temecula
• North of Temecula to Murrieta, Lake Elsinore and just south of El Cerrito

The company is extending 4G LTE in the San Diego metropolitan area, including communities in the following locations:

• From Carlsbad to Encinitas and just north of Solana Beach
• From just north of Solana Beach and east to Rancho Santa Fe and Highway 56
• Northward along Highway 56 to Del Dios and just south of San Marcos

Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network allows customers to share music and photos, surf the Web and download files up to 10 times faster than with the company's 3G network.  Verizon Wireless initially launched its 4G LTE network in December 2010 throughout greater Los Angeles and San Diego areas.  Currently, throughout greater Los Angeles, 4G LTE is available from San Fernando and east to Glendora and Fontana; south to Norco and El Cerrito; west to Yorba Linda and south to San Clemente; and, northwest to Long Beach, Santa Monica and Woodland Hills.

In the San Diego area, 4G LTE coverage today extends from Solana Beach and south to La Jolla and Imperial Beach; east to Chula Vista; and north to El Cajon, Santee, Poway and Escondido.

"We are expanding our 4G LTE network, the largest 4G LTE network in the nation, so that more of Southern California residents, small businesses and local government can take advantage of the next generation of wireless connectivity, " said Luis Cruz, regional president of Verizon Wireless. "Our 4G LTE network is revolutionizing the way our customers communicate, enabling them to connect faster and more fully with each other and those outside our community."

4G LTE Devices and Plans

Residents across greater Los Angeles and San Diego can choose from 13 4G LTE-enabled devices to access the blazingly fast speeds of the 4G LTE network, including notebooks, netbooks, hotspots, modems, tablets, and smartphones such as the new DROID BIONIC™ by Motorola and Pantech Breakout™.  Details on each device can be found at http://www.verizonwireless.com/4GLTE.  Nationwide talk and data plan pricing information is available at www.verizonwireless.com/plans.

Coverage and Speed

Verizon Wireless began introducing its 4G LTE network on Dec. 5, 2010, covering more than 110 million Americans.  With a consistent focus on growth and reliability, the company has quickly expanded its 4G LTE network.  In addition to expanding its network on Oct. 20 in Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; and Erie, Pa., the company is adding 22 new markets, for a total of 165 metropolitan areas covered.  By Nov. 17, Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network will cover 178 cities.

In real-world, fully loaded network environments, 4G LTE customers from Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.  

Extending Coverage and Reliability

Verizon Wireless is also working with rural communications organizations to collaboratively build and operate a 4G LTE network in those areas using the tower and backhaul assets of the rural company and Verizon Wireless' core 4G LTE equipment and premium 700 MHz spectrum.  To date, 12 rural organizations have announced their participation in the LTE in Rural America program and have leased spectrum covering, in total, more than 2.6 million people in rural communities and nearly 82,000 square miles.

When customers travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, the devices automatically connect to Verizon Wireless' 3G network, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to coast.  Verizon Wireless' 3G network is the largest, most reliable high speed data network in the country and allows customers in 3G coverage areas who purchase 4G LTE devices today to take advantage of 4G LTE speeds when the faster network becomes available in their areas.  

For more information about Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 106.3 million total wireless connections, including 89.7 million retail customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 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