Tropical Storm Ida Threatens Panhandle, Gulf Coast; Verizon Wireless Offers Tips To Floridians

Tropical Storm Ida Threatens Panhandle, Gulf Coast; Verizon Wireless Offers
Tips To Floridians

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- With Tropical Storm Ida churning in the
Gulf of Mexico and threatening Florida's Panhandle and Gulf Coast, Verizon
Wireless urges residents to finalize their emergency communications plans.

Ida, which entered the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane, currently is
expected to make landfall near the Alabama-Florida state line early Tuesday,
then move northeast to bring high winds and heavy rain across the Panhandle
and northern parts of the state.

Verizon Wireless, which operates the nation's largest and most reliable
wireless voice and 3G data network, offers residents these tips to be safer
during strong weather and other emergencies:

-- Keep wireless phone batteries fully charged in case local power is
lost.
-- Have additional charged batteries and car-charger adapters available
for
back-up power.
-- Keep phones, batteries, chargers and other equipment in a dry,
accessible location.
-- Keep a list of emergency phone numbers - police, fire, and rescue
agencies; insurance providers; family, friends and co-workers; etc. -
programmed into your phone.
-- Distribute wireless phone numbers to family members and friends.

-- Forward your home phone calls to your wireless number if you will be
away from your home or have to evacuate.

When the storm strikes, Verizon Wireless suggests these tips:

-- Limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and free-up
wireless
networks for emergency agencies and operations.
-- Send brief text messages rather than voice calls for the same reasons
as
above.

-- Check weather/ news reports available on wireless phone applications
when power is out.

"We've been fortunate in Florida so far this year, but it is important that
residents remain prepared to stay safe and in touch during emergencies," said
Pam Tope, Florida region president for Verizon Wireless. "Residents,
especially in the Panhandle, should put their emergency plans into action,
just as our teams have been strengthening the network to provide strong
coverage and services for the public and public safety agencies."

Verizon Wireless has continued the intensive investments and preparations that
proved critical during and after past years' storm seasons. In the aftermath
of even the most devastating hurricanes, the Verizon Wireless network in
Florida remained strong while many other wireless communication networks
struggled to serve emergency response officials and residents.

In the Panhandle this year, Verizon Wireless has made dramatic network
improvements for former Alltel customers. Verizon Wireless acquired Alltel in
January and has invested vast resources in upgrading and integrating Alltel
network facilities into the larger, more advanced Verizon Wireless 3G network.

Additional highlights of the Verizon Wireless 2009 Hurricane Season
preparation and network enhancement include:

-- Verizon Wireless network technicians traveled 50,000 miles in Florida
this past year in six special vehicles equipped with phones, wireless
data devices and computers to ensure strong coverage and quality of
calls throughout the state.
-- The company has a fleet of dozens of Cells on Wheels (COWs), Cells on
Light Trucks (COLTs), and Generators on Trailers (GOaTs) that can be
rolled into hard-hit locations or areas that need extra network
capacity.
-- Pre-arranged fuel delivery to mobile units and generators is able to
keep the network operating at full strength even if power is lost for
an
extended period of time.
-- The company erected more than 60 new digital cell sites, of which
about
85 percent have their own on-site generators and expanded fuel tanks
to
extend power-generating capacity.

-- Verizon Wireless optimized regional network switching facilities
throughout the state, as well as neared completion of a high-tech $50
million facility in Broward County. These "super switches," located
in
Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa Bay, are designed to withstand a
Category 5 hurricane and are equipped with large-scale back-up power
generation.

These new technologies, facilities and network-strengthening efforts are part
of an ongoing investment of $2 billion in Florida since the company was formed
in 2000.
For more information, visit the Verizon Wireless Emergency Information Center
at http://news.vzw.com/Emergency/Overview.html.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless
voice and 3G data network, serving 89 million customers. Headquartered in
Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 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

Chuck Hamby, Verizon Wireless, +1-813-404-6029,
Chuck.Hamby@verizonwireless.com