Text Messaging Use in South Carolina Soars by Nearly 500 Percent

Verizon Wireless Customers In Greenville Lead The Palmetto State For Most Text
Messages Sent and Received Per Month

GREENVILLE, S.C., July 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2008 "Big City Wireless Use
Study," commissioned by Verizon Wireless, reveals that there is exponential
growth in text messaging in South Carolina and across the South area. The
study showed an increase in text messaging among the company's South Carolina
customers by nearly 500 percent in 24 months (April 2006 to April 2008),
making the Palmetto State among the most text-savvy states in the South.
The study revealed that Verizon Wireless customers in Greenville earned
the number one spot in the state as the "textiest city" with customers sending
and receiving over 116 million text messages in April of 2008, compared to
almost 19 million texts sent and received in April of 2006.
Text message use in the US has increased significantly over the years. In
fact, according to a CTIA-The Wireless Association(R) evaluation, text message
sending and receiving jumped from 14.4 million in 2000 to 48.1 billion in
2007.
Because of the incredible growth of text messaging across the US, Verizon
Wireless recently decided to evaluate customer texting habits in the
Southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and
Virginia over a 24-month period. Texting use is highlighted in several South
Carolina cities below:

South Number of Text Messages South Number of Text Messages
Carolina Sent and Received Carolina Sent and Received
City City
April 2006 April 2008 April 2006 April 2008

Anderson 4,049,746 25,071,855 Greenville 18,940,327 116,337,769
Bluffton 1,201,672 7,415,188 Greenwood 5,399,356 27,274,291
Calhoun 2,461,166 11,315,133 Lancaster 2,911,462 17,395,918
Charleston 5,743,749 31,698,177 Myrtle
Beach 869,369 6,052,970
Cherokee 2,197,220 11,153,016 Oconee
County 1,169,231 7,695,988
Columbia 10,466,816 59,005,549 Sumter 795,009 4,228,361
Florence 2,395,952 12,209,855

"The Big City Wireless Use study allows our customers in South Carolina to
get a true idea of how often they use their cell phones and wireless devices
to do much more than simply place a phone call," said Jerry Fountain, Verizon
Wireless president for the Carolinas/Tennessee region. "Text messaging is a
quick and easy way to communicate information efficiently to family and
friends, and people are realizing the benefits of adopting this form of
communication."
Verizon Wireless customers have a wide range of texting plans available to
them, on both Individual and FamilyShare plans. Basic messaging services
start at $0.20 for messages sent and received, or customers can opt for bundle
plans. For $5 a month, customers get 200 text messages to use with any
wireless customer, and for $20 a month, customers can send and receive 5,000
messages per month. Verizon Wireless prepay customers can get unlimited text,
picture and video messaging to Verizon Wireless customers nationwide, plus an
additional 250 text, picture and video messages each month for $10 a month.
To complement each individual's texting plan, customers now have more options
on text-friendly phones such as the new Samsung Gleam, Samsung Glyde, LG enV2,
LG Decoy, LG Dare or Voyager by LG.
For more information about text messaging products and services, visit
www.verizonwireless.com and www.vtext.com.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and
data network, serving 68.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge,
N.J., with 70,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of
Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more
information, go to: 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

Carly Culbertson of Verizon Wireless, +1-864-987-2006,
Carolyn.Culbertson@verizonwireless.com