Verizon Wireless Blazed New High-speed Network Across Georgia In 2012

ALPHARETTA, Ga., March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Wireless calling, text messaging and surfing the Web on the Verizon Wireless network is now easier and faster for residents and travelers in Georgia, thanks to heavy investments made during 2012. Over the course of the year, the company invested more than $180 million in network enhancements across Georgia; its ongoing network investment in Georgia now totals more than $2.1 billion since the company was formed in 2000.

"These significant investments represent our ongoing commitment to network superiority across the state.  Our 4G LTE network is revolutionizing the way Georgians communicate and conduct business. Georgia's consumers and businesses now have the ability to work at significantly faster speeds and with improved responsiveness, changing the way they live, work and play," said Jonathan LeCompte, president – Georgia/Alabama Region, Verizon Wireless. 

Over the course of the year, the company installed 4G LTE network coverage in 251 new cities and towns across the Peach State, bringing the total number covered to 445. Today, over 91% of Georgians are covered by the 4G LTE network, enabling them to stream video, share music and photos, download files and surf the Web with speeds up to 10 times faster than before. Verizon Wireless will continue rapidly expanding the 4G LTE network, with plans cover its entire nationwide footprint by the end of 2013.

Other 2012 Verizon Wireless Georgia Highlights

• The St. Patrick's Day celebration in Savannah continues to be one of the highest usage events for Verizon Wireless customers with over 1.8 million LTE connections throughout the day.
• Proving that Savannah loves to be connected, the city saw the highest growth in data usage in 2012.
• Football games in Athens, GA get people talking.  Average campus usage in Athens on game day during the fall of 2012 was over 377,000 minutes of use and over 255,000 megabytes of data usage.
• More than 692 billion voice and data transmissions and more than 238 billion minutes of airtime were logged on the Verizon Wireless network in Georgia during the 2012.
• Wireless 4G LTE data traffic increased over 500% year-over-year in Georgia.
• The company launched HomeFusion^™ Broadband throughout Georgia, a solution that leverages the power and speed of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network to deliver high-speed, in-home Internet access for residential broadband, particularly in areas where Internet options are limited or are not currently available.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 98.2 million retail customers, including 92.5 million retail postpaid customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 73,000 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