Text Messaging Use Explodes in North Carolina by 600 Percent

Verizon Wireless Customers In Charlotte Lead Tarheel State For Most Text
Messages Sent and Received Per Month

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2008 "Big City Wireless Use
Study," commissioned by Verizon Wireless, reveals that there is exponential
growth in text messaging in North Carolina and across the South. The study
showed an increase in text messaging among the company's North Carolina
customers by more than 600 percent in 24 months (April 2006 to April 2008),
making the Tarheel state among the most text-savvy states in the South.
The study revealed that Verizon Wireless customers in Charlotte earned the
number one spot across the state as the 'textiest city' with customers sending
and receiving over 103 million text messages in April of 2008 compared to just
15 million texts sent and received in April of 2006.
This increase According to CTIA, The International Wireless Association
for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry, text message sending and
receiving jumped from 14.4 million in 2000 to 48.1 billion in 2007.
Based on the incredible growth across the US, Verizon Wireless decided to
evaluate their own customer's 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. North Carolina cities are highlighted below:

Number of Text Number of Text
Messages Sent and Messages Sent and
Received Received

North North
Carolina April 2006 April 2008 Carolina April 2006 April 2008
City City

Burlington 1,897,799 12,179,676 Lenoir 1,825,568 15,796,049
Charlotte 15,357,231 103,069,815 New Bern 2,340 1,740,665
Fayetteville 3,440,274 18,595,382 Raleigh 8,575,862 56,181,192
Goldsboro 17,646 2,761,532 Roanoke 112 400,197
Rapids
Greensboro 11,622,357 76,910,664 Rocky 10,022 2,806,093
Mount-
Wilson
Greenville- 23,652 2,752,254 Shelby 13,173,651 76,904,914
Washington
Hickory 4,502,534 31,510,836 Wilmington 112,405 6,334,002
Jacksonville 38,138 5,525,222

"The Big City Wireless Use study offers North Carolinians an interesting
snapshot of how they have come to rely on their cell phones every day to do
much more than make phone calls," said Jerry Fountain, Verizon Wireless
president for the Carolinas/Tennessee region. "This study proves text
messaging is a phenomenal way to communicate information quickly and
efficiently to stay connected with family and friends, wherever they may be."
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 received and $0.20 for messages sent, or customers
can opt for a bundle plan. For $5 a month, customers can get 200 text
messages to any one on any network, with plans increasing in $5 increments all
the way up to $20 a month for 5,000 messages to anyone on another network and
unlimited IN messaging. To complement each individual's texting plan,
customers now have more options on text-friendly phones available to
them -- 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 or www.vtext.com
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and
data network, serving 67.2 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge,
N.J., with 69,000 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