Verizon Wireless Completes Purchase of Centennial Communications Assets in Parts of Louisiana and Mississippi

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless today announced it has purchased from AT&T certain operating assets of Centennial Communications Corp. in Louisiana and Mississippi for $235 million.  The transaction was agreed to last year by Verizon Wireless and AT&T and satisfies certain divestiture requirements of the regulatory approvals needed for AT&T to complete its acquisition of Centennial Communications.  

The purchase includes Centennial's spectrum licenses, network assets and more than 117,000 current customers in six service areas: Lafayette, Beauregard, Iberville and West Feliciana, La., and Claiborne and Copiah, Miss. (A complete list of parishes and counties included in the purchase appears at the end of this release).  

Verizon Wireless will begin today to serve customers in the acquired Centennial markets.  The company will continue to use the Centennial brand for the next several months as it works to convert Centennial's existing wireless network to CDMA technology.  Verizon Wireless also will roll out high-speed mobile broadband service on a market-by-market basis in the newly acquired properties.  The enhanced wireless network will allow customers to access the Internet and e-mail at broadband data speeds from their wireless devices, as well as view high-quality videos, and download music, games, ringtones and ringback tones.  

Customers do not need to take any action at this time.  For now, there are no changes to customers' calling plans or service.  Before the network conversion in a particular area is complete, customers will receive a letter from Verizon Wireless explaining their service changeover.  At that time, customers will have the opportunity to select a device comparable to their existing one at no additional cost or upgrade their device at a promotional price.

Verizon Wireless has invested more than $60 billion since it was formed – $5.7 billion on average every year – to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network and to add new services.  

The Centennial markets that will become part of Verizon Wireless include the following parishes or counties:

Louisiana:  Acadia, Allen, Assumption Parish, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Cameron, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia Parish, Iberville Parish, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Pointe Coupee, Saint Helena, Saint Landry, Saint Martin, Saint Mary Parish, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington and West Feliciana.

Mississippi:  Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Franklin, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marion, Pike, Simpson, Walthall and Wilkinson.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 92 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with  79,000 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