Wireless Phone Users in Illinois' Pulaski, Johnson and Massac Counties Now Experience...

Wireless Phone Users in Illinois' Pulaski, Johnson and Massac Counties Now
Experience Even Clearer Reception and Fewer Dropped Calls

Verizon Wireless Activates New Cell Site in Karnak

KARNAK, Ill., June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless has activated a new
cell site in Pulaski County, which will enable more customers to use their
wireless phones concurrently to make calls; send and receive email and text,
picture and video messages; access the Internet; view high-quality videos; and
download music, games and ringtones, while enjoying clearer reception and
fewer dropped calls.

The new cell site improves Verizon Wireless voice and data coverage in the
communities of Karnak, Cypress, Grand Chain, Belknap, and in nearby rural
areas of Pulaski, Johnson and Massac counties along Illinois routes 169 and
37.

"Network reliability is the No. 1 reason that customers choose and stay with
Verizon Wireless," said Brendan Fallis, president-Kansas/Missouri/Southern
Illinois Region, Verizon Wireless. "Getting through on the first try and
maintaining a connection are important to our customers. We continue to
optimize our network so that it remains the most reliable in the nation."

Reliable service is fundamental to customer loyalty, and Verizon Wireless
boasts the highest customer loyalty in the industry, as measured by the
company's low percentage of customer turnover.

"The value we offer our customers is closely tied to our industry-leading
customer retention," Fallis said. "Wireless consumers today understand that
value is not defined by price alone. A major reason our customers choose
Verizon Wireless and stay with us is because we offer the nation's most
reliable network."

This network improvement is part of Verizon Wireless' continual effort to
expand coverage, improve capacity and enhance the quality of its wireless
voice and data network in Illinois and throughout the country. Verizon
Wireless has invested more than $50 billion since it was formed -- $5.5
billion on average every year -- to increase the coverage and capacity of its
premier nationwide network and to add new services. In 2008, the company
invested more than $196.5 million in its Illinois network.

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

Cheryl Bini Armbrecht, Cheryl.Bini@verizonwireless.com, or Brenda Hill,
Brenda.Hill@verizonwireless.com, both of Verizon Wireless, +1-636-345-9400; or
Caroline Villanueva, +1-314-725-5645, caroline@sequel-llc.com, for Verizon
Wireless