Verizon Wireless Customers in Charleston Gain Improved Coverage With the Addition of 58 New Cell Sites

CHARLESTON, S.C., May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless announced today that it has added 58 new cell sites to their network in Charleston to provide customers with clearer reception, fewer dropped calls and more coverage, including stronger in-building coverage. With the addition of these cell towers to Verizon Wireless' already robust and industry-leading network, customers in the Charleston area are now enjoying unprecedented network access and dramatically denser site coverage.

More customers in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties are able to use their wireless phones concurrently to make calls; send and receive e-mail and text, picture and video messages; access the Internet; view high-quality videos; and download music, games and ringtones -- all on the nation's largest 4G LTE network.

"The best network continues to get better," said Jerry Fountain, Verizon Wireless Carolinas Region President. "We are committed to continuing to perfect our network so that our customers know they can depend on us every time they use their wireless devices. With the addition of these towers, we have achieved network enhancements in just one year that would have taken nearly ten years to complete with a traditional build program."

As customers continue to expand the way they use their devices, Verizon Wireless continues to stay ahead of their demand. "Our network techs, switch engineers, project managers and performance engineers have been working around the clock to integrate these two networks," said Fountain. "Verizon Wireless is dedicated to providing customers with seamless and reliable service through these new resources. This has been an important part of the Verizon Wireless build plan, combined with our annual capital investments over the past several years."

In 2011 alone, Verizon Wireless invested over $165 million in South Carolina for improvements to their network bringing the total investment in the state to over $1 billion since the company was formed in 2000.  This investment positions Verizon Wireless' network as the largest and most reliable for customers in the Charleston area.  As South Carolina's leading wireless provider, the company now has coverage across 25,306 square miles of the state, providing access to Verizon Wireless' high-speed wireless internet, real-time e-mail and entertainment services through Verizon Wireless' 3G and 4G LTE data networks. Verizon Wireless, the first company to bring 4G LTE to the state, now covers nearly 55 percent of South Carolina's population with the lightning fast 4G LTE network, delivering speeds ten times faster than 3G networks.  Current markets that have access to the 4G LTE network include Aiken, Charleston, Clemson, Columbia, Greenville, Hilton Head, North Augusta, Rock Hill and Spartanburg.  Planned expansions for 2012 will further benefit South Carolina residents, businesses and schools that rely on high-speed wireless communications to stay connected and conduct business on the go.

"Our superior network is what makes it possible for customers to truly enjoy the features of their devices. Our focus on providing the best customer experience is largely driven by our network. We will continue investing to make the experience better every day, so we are more than ready for today's traffic and the increasing traffic of tomorrow," said Fountain.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 93.0 million retail customers, including 88.0 million retail postpaid customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 80,000 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