Bland, VA Residents to Benefit from Verizon Wireless Network Expansion

Investing to Stay Ahead of Growing Demand for Wireless Calling, Data Access
and Music

LAUREL, Md., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In a continuing effort to provide the
best wireless service for residents and visitors in Bland, VA, Verizon
Wireless has expanded its network with two new cell sites. The new sites
improve coverage in Bland and along Route 42 east of town.

This network enhancement is part of Verizon Wireless' aggressive multi-billion
dollar network investment each year to stay ahead of the growing demand for
the company's voice and data services. Verizon Wireless spent $264 million to
enhance services and coverage throughout Virginia, Washington, DC, and
Maryland in 2008, bringing total network investment in the region to more than
$2 billion since 2000.

"We've always believed even the most advanced cell phone is only as good as
the network it runs on," said Verizon Wireless regional president Mike
Maiorana. "We continue to invest aggressively in our wireless networks across
Virginia, Maryland and DC to increase coverage and capacity for our
customers."

Nationally, the company has invested more than $50 billion since it was formed
in 2000 to offer customers the most reliable service available, including
wireless data services such as picture messaging, text messaging, and the
company's exclusive V CAST service. V CAST brings video clips of TV shows,
music on demand and other multimedia services to wireless phones over Verizon
Wireless' high-speed Mobile Broadband network.

With Mobile Broadband, users can connect to the Internet, download music
over-the-air, and access e-mail or corporate data at average download speeds
of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits per second and average
upload speeds of 500-800 kbps. That translates to downloading a 1 Megabyte
e-mail attachment -- the equivalent of a small PowerPoint(R) presentation or a
large PDF file -- in about eight seconds and sending the same-sized file in
less than 13 seconds.

Strong demand for Verizon Wireless services continued during the first quarter
of 2009 as the company added 1.3 million net new customers. For the 18th
consecutive quarter, Verizon Wireless also led the wireless industry in
customer loyalty. The company posted a churn (customer turnover) rate of just
1.14%, below the rate reported by the other major wireless carriers.

Verizon Wireless tests its network and those of its competitors to ensure the
Verizon Wireless network remains the nation's most reliable. Nationally,
Verizon Wireless' real-life test men and women drive 91 specially equipped
vehicles almost 1,000,000 miles annually on Interstate, U.S. and state
highways, as well as major roads and surface streets in high-population areas,
based upon U.S. Census counts, to determine if voice calls and data
connections are successful on the first attempt and stay connected. Vehicles
are equipped with computers that automatically make more than three million
voice call attempts and more than 16 million data tests annually on Verizon
Wireless' network and the networks of other carriers.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless
voice and data network, serving more than 86.6 million customers.
Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 86,000 employees
nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications
(NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: 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

Sherri Cunningham of Verizon Wireless, +1-202-364-5856