Let a Verizon Wireless Test Man Be Your Guide

Interesting Summer Drives From The Men And Women Who Test Drive America's Most
Reliable Wireless Network

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Customers traveling this
summer don't have to go far to find unique places to visit according to
Verizon Wireless' Test Men and Women. The company's real-life Test Men and
Women see some of the country's most interesting places -- from the Blue Ridge
Mountains on the border of West Virginia to Metropolis, Ill., and Lake Texoma
on the Oklahoma/Texas border to the Four Corners of Arizona, New Mexico,
Colorado and Utah -- as they travel close to 1 million miles every year
testing network performance, call quality and data network performance.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080731/NYTH007 )
Verizon Wireless has posted new profiles on the company's Test Men and
Women Web site, located at http://news.vzw.com/testdriver/index.html. The
profiles include answers to questions about the company's network testing and
enhancement efforts, including most unique places to test the network, how the
company uses the data collected, and thoughts on why Verizon Wireless needs to
test its network every day.
Verizon Wireless' real-life Test Men and Women -- who inspired the
company's iconic Test Man advertising campaign -- travel from coast to coast
conducting more than 3 million voice call attempts and more than 16 million
data tests annually on the Verizon Wireless network and the networks of
competitors. The collected data helps Verizon Wireless plan the company's
network improvement program, including placement of new cellular sites and
expansion of existing call capabilities in growing communities. Over the past
year, Verizon Wireless spent $6.5 billion to build and expand its nationwide
network.
Among the Test Men picks for favorite U.S. spots are:
-- Midwest Area Test Man Gerald Wildermuth recommends the Superman statue
in Metropolis as a unique place to visit. He says, "Yes, there really is a
Metropolis -- it's in Illinois, and there's a Superman Museum."
-- Northeast Area Test Man Cedric Rogers recommends the Blue Ridge
Mountains along the West Virginia border as a remote location where customers
can enjoy the scenery and also enjoy network coverage. He says about the
mountain area, "The outline and scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains are
spectacular."
-- South Area Test Man Ken Lee recommends Lake Texoma on the
Oklahoma/Texas border, a place where Verizon Wireless' network continues to
grow and expand. Lee says, "The Oklahoma/Texas border is so beautiful."
-- West Area Test Man Raymond Enriquez says, "The most unique place I've
been is probably the four corners area of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and
Utah."
Other favorites mentioned by Verizon Wireless' Test Men and Women include
the mountains of Kentucky, recommended by Midwest Area Test Man Mike Trudell;
Wild West City in Netcong, N.J., recommended by Northeast Area Test Woman
Aline Griffith; Reynolds Plantation near Lake Oconee, Ga., recommended by
South Area Test Man DeAnthony Norwood; and California'sKings Canyon and
Sequoia National Parks, recommended by West Area Test Man Dan Kasper. To read
all of the Verizon Wireless Test Men and Women's favorite U.S. testing spots,
visit http://news.vzw.com/testdriver/index.html.
Verizon Wireless invites members of the news media who are interested in
participating in ride-along test drives with the Test Men and Women from their
area to see first-hand how the company monitors and tests its network to
ensure efficient operation. Media interested in scheduling a ride-along or
interview, can visit http://news.vzw.com/testdriver/index.html and e-mail or
call the media contact listed under the appropriate profile.
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

Tom Pica of Verizon Wireless, +1-908-559-7516,
Thomas.Pica@verizonwireless.com