Verizon Wireless Expands High-Speed 4G LTE Network In The Rochester Area, And Officially Launches 4G LTE In Bemidji, Minnesota, On Sept. 20

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless today announced that customers in the greater Rochester, Minn. area as well as in Bemidji, Minn. will experience the blazingly fast speeds and capabilities of America's largest Long Term Evolution (LTE) network when the company expands its 4G LTE network on Sept. 20.  The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network covers more than 75 percent of the U.S. population and has more coverage than all other U.S. wireless providers combined.  Verizon Wireless has announced its intention to provide 4G LTE coverage in 400 markets across the United States before the end of 2012.

Verizon Wireless first launched its 4G LTE network in the Rochester area, including Austin and Albert Lea, on Dec. 15, 2011.  The new 4G LTE coverage will extend west of Rochester along U.S. Highway 14 providing contiguous coverage to Owatonna.  In addition, new coverage will expand ten miles north and south of U.S. Highway 14 including Claremont, Mantorville and Dodge Center.  Additionally,  coverage in Rochester near the intersection of College View Road E. and Silver Creed Road N.E. will enhance in-building 4G LTE service in the Olmstead County buildings.

The official launch of the 4G LTE network in Bemidji will provide coverage as follows:

• North on U.S. Highway 71 to two miles south of Funkley;
• South on U.S. Highway 71 to Lake Itasca State Park;
• East on U.S. Highway 2 to two miles west of Ball Club;
• West on U.S. Highway 2 to two miles west of Bagley.

In addition to Bemidji, towns included in the new 4G LTE coverage area include Bagley, Blackduck, Bena, Cass Lake, Hines, Lake George and Solway.

4G LTE Coverage in Minnesota
"The expansion of our 4G LTE network coverage in greater Rochester and in Bemidji allows customers in more parts of Minnesota to stay in touch like never before – uploading, downloading and connecting online with speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G," said Seamus Hyland, president-Great Plains Region, Verizon Wireless.  "We are enabling more consumers and businesses to take advantage of the innovations that are being brought to market through 4G LTE technology."

The Minneapolis-Saint Paul market was one of the first Verizon Wireless markets to launch 4G LTE on Dec. 10, 2010, and the company has expanded the market area twice adding 4G LTE coverage to additional cities north, south, east and west.  In 2011, in addition to Rochester, Austin and Albert Lea, the company brought 4G LTE service to Duluth, Moorhead and St. Cloud.  Last month, Verizon launched new 4G LTE coverage in the greater Mankato area and the greater Worthington area of southern Minnesota.

4G LTE Coverage and Speed
In real-world, fully loaded network environments, Verizon Wireless 4G LTE customers should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink. 

When customers travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, 4G LTE devices automatically connect to Verizon Wireless' 3G network, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to coast.  Verizon Wireless' 3G network is the 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 area, or when they travel to areas already covered by 4G LTE. 

For information on Verizon Wireless' largest selection of 4G LTE devices ranging from tablets and mobile hotspots to the latest smartphones visit www.verizonwireless.com/4GLTE,

Coverage maps will be available online on Sept. 20.  For more information about Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte. 

For more news and stories specific to the Verizon Wireless Midwest Area, visit and subscribe to our blog: http://vzwmidwestarea.com/

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 94.2 million retail customers, including 88.8 million retail postpaid customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 78,000 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