Broadband Wireless Network Speeds into Tucson; Verizon Wireless Gives Customers Access to High-Speed Wireless Internet and E-Mail, Mobile Music and More.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Customers in greater Tucson can now get access to the latest high-speed business and entertainment services on their wireless phones, laptop computers and other wireless devices thanks to Verizon Wireless.

The new capabilities come with the expansion of the company's Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) network, enabling both its BroadbandAccess and V CAST services. The launch includes greater Tucson communities stretching from Green Valley to Marana. Tucson joins the metropolitan Phoenix market where these services were launched early last year.

"With this launch, we have increased the broadband wireless coverage in Arizona by nearly 50 percent," said Tony Heyman, regional president, Verizon Wireless. "Now customers in the state's two largest metropolitan areas have access to America's most reliable wireless broadband network."(a)

BroadbandAccess

BroadbandAccess provides on-the-go professionals with full, mobile access to their corporate information as if they were attached to the information via a high-speed wired connection. Users can conduct business anytime, anywhere in the BroadbandAccess coverage area via a secure, true high-speed data connection.

With average access speeds of 400-700 kilobits per second (kbps), users can download a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment - the equivalent of a small PowerPoint(R) presentation or a large PDF file - in about 20 seconds.

Connecting to BroadbandAccess is easy, using a PC card that slides directly into most laptop computers, an integrated option on select notebook computers: Dell (Latitude 620 and 820); Lenovo (ThinkPad Z60, T60 and X60); and HP (Compaq nc6140) or by connecting a laptop to a BroadbandAccess-capable PDA or phone.

V CAST

V CAST, the nation's first wireless broadband multimedia service for consumers, offers the most comprehensive selection available of music, videos and 3D games on demand. Users can stream video clips (up to 5 minutes long) of the hottest entertainment, music videos, movie trailers, sports highlights, news and breaking weather directly to their Verizon Wireless V CAST-capable phone.

With V CAST Music, customers can browse and download songs from the V CAST Music library of 1.4 million songs directly onto their V CAST Music-enabled phone or Windows(R) XP-enabled PC. They can also transfer music from their PC to their V CAST Music enabled phone and take their tunes with them without a second device.

"The Tucson launch is part of our continuing focus on investing in our network reliability and providing innovative high-speed data services and faster downloads to our southern Arizona customers," added Heyman.

The company has invested more than $370 million in Arizona in the past five years - part of its $30 billion nationwide network investment over the last six years - to ensure network reliability and expanded coverage and capacity.

Coverage

With the launch, Verizon Wireless' EV-DO coverage in southern Arizona now includes the communities of Tucson, Sahuarita, Green Valley, Oro Valley, Marana and Catalina.

Verizon Wireless was the first national wireless provider to commercially launch a high-speed wireless broadband network in the United States. Verizon Wireless' EV-DO network coverage area now covers more than 150 million Americans.

BroadbandAccess customers who travel outside the coverage area with an EV-DO-capable device will switch seamlessly to Verizon Wireless' existing NationalAccess network that offers average data transmission speeds between 60 and 80 kbps, with bursts up to 144 kbps.

BroadbandAccess and V CAST pricing and product information available at www.verizonwireless.com.

(a) -- Network details at www.verizonwireless.com/bestnetwork.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 54.8 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at 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.