Verizon Expands Wireless Broadband Network to North Dakota Communities

[Ironwalt]

Press Release Source: Verizon Wireless


Verizon Wireless Expands Wireless Broadband Network to Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks and Other North Dakota Communities
Wednesday October 3, 9:00 am ET
High-Speed Network Gives Verizon Wireless Customers Access to Fast Wireless Internet, Email, Mobile Music, Videos and More


BISMARCK, N.D., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless announced today that it has expanded the national rollout of its high-speed wireless network to Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks and a number of other North Dakota communities along Interstate 29 and Interstate 94, which connect these cities.
"These North Dakota communities represent vital markets with dynamic, tech-savvy business people and residents who want to stay connected," said Nancy B. Clark, president - Great Plains Region, Verizon Wireless. "The launch of our broadband network here provides our customers with access to the very latest wireless technology."

With the wireless broadband network now available in North Dakota's most populated markets, Verizon Wireless customers in the area now enjoy two prime services:


-- BroadbandAccess, the enhanced high-speed wireless service that equips
Verizon Wireless' business customers with a truly untethered mobile
office experience, enabling them to wirelessly access their calendars,
the Internet, email and critical business information residing behind
their companies' firewalls; and
-- V CAST, a consumer-oriented multimedia service that gives customers
access to the most comprehensive selection of downloadable music,
high-quality videos and the coolest 3D games found anywhere.


BroadbandAccess

Based on Evolution-Data Optimized Revision A (EV-DO Rev. A) network technology, BroadbandAccess provides mobile workers with the ability to access their corporate information as if they were attached to this data via a high-speed wired connection but with the freedom of true mobility. Developed with a range of users in mind, the service enables large enterprises, small to medium-sized businesses and mobile professionals to conduct business anytime, anywhere in the BroadbandAccess coverage area via a secure, true high-speed data connection.

With BroadbandAccess, business customers, residents and visitors to these North Dakota communities can expect average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits per second and average upload speeds of 500 kbps to 800 kbps. That means they can download a 1 megabyte email attachment-the equivalent of a small PowerPoint® presentation or a large PDF file-in about eight seconds and upload the same-sized file in less than 13 seconds.

BroadbandAccess also enables Verizon Wireless customers to download files approximately 10 times faster than customers of wireless service providers that use different broadly deployed network technologies. Furthermore, customers who travel outside the enhanced BroadbandAccess coverage area with an EV-DO device will switch seamlessly to the company's NationalAccess service.

"Our enhanced BroadbandAccess service gives our customers three key advantages in wireless communication-speed, mobility and security," Clark said. "With these advantages comes an increase in productivity and bottom-line business benefits."

V CAST: Video and Music

Verizon Wireless' wireless broadband network also enables its V CAST multimedia services, which offer customers the ability to download full-song tracks, play cutting-edge 3D games and stream video clips straight to the handset with top transmission speeds. With content updated daily, customers can watch dozens of on-demand videos, including breaking news, weather updates, sports highlights and the hottest entertainment clips.

With V CAST Music, Verizon Wireless has built a massive full-song mobile music store that contains more than 2.1 million songs -- from well-known as well as independent artists -- that customers can download over-the-air, directly onto their V CAST Music-enabled wireless phones.

Coverage

Verizon Wireless' BroadbandAccess and V CAST coverage in North Dakota currently includes the following communities:


-- In the Bismarck area, coverage includes Mandan and extends west of town
along I-94 through Judson, New Salem and Glen Ullin to Hebron. Coverage
also extends south along State Highway 6 to St. Anthony and north along
U.S. Highway 83 through Baldwin to Wilton.
-- Along the I-94 corridor, coverage east of Bismarck includes the
communities of Menoken, Sterling, Steele, Crystal Springs, Jamestown,
Valley City and West Fargo extending to Fargo.
-- In the Fargo area, coverage extends east to Moorhead and Glyndon, Minn;
south along I-29 to Hickson and north along I-29 to Grand Forks
including the communities of Argusville, Hillsboro, Cummings and
Thompson.
-- In the Grand Forks area, coverage extends west of town to the Grand
Forks Air Force Base and east along U.S. Highway 2 through East Grand
Forks to Crookston and McIntosh, Minn.


The multi-million dollar expansion includes the installation of high-tech wireless hardware and software in wireless transmission sites throughout the region. Verizon Wireless has invested more than $40 billion since it was formed -- more than $5 billion on average every year -- to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services. More than $105 million of this investment was spent in North Dakota from 2001 to 2006. Through September 15 of this year, $23.3 million has been invested in North Dakota network improvements.

Verizon Wireless was the first national wireless provider to commercially launch a high-speed wireless broadband network in the United States. These communities in North Dakota are the latest markets to be added to the coverage, which is available to more than 210 million people across the country. For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to Cell Phones, Cell Phone Plans, Cell Phone Accessories - Verizon Wireless.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 62.1 million customers. The largest U.S. wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 67,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ - News) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD - News News). Find more information on the Web at Cell Phones, Cell Phone Plans, Cell Phone Accessories - Verizon Wireless. 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 http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Verizon Wireless

[Andy]

That is great news. I think this introduces the first 3g service to this area.

[Buickman]

Cool, I get up to the Crookston/grand Forks area a lot. Of coarse it figures that I went with Sprint for my laptop data card.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Buickman

Cool, I get up to the Crookston/grand Forks area a lot. Of coarse it figures that I went with Sprint for my laptop data card.

Sounds like you will have to wait until ALLTEL gets EVDO up in that area.
Why did you chose Sprint for your laptop card? The unrestricted data transfers?

[Buickman]

Originally Posted by Andy

Why did you chose Sprint for your laptop card? The unrestricted data transfers?

Exactly. The EVDO coverage is almost identical in MN between both carriers (or at least it was before this), except that Sprint also has some small islands of coverage in areas like Brainerd, which helps me out some when I'm on the road.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Buickman

Exactly. The EVDO coverage is almost identical in MN between both carriers (or at least it was before this), except that Sprint also has some small islands of coverage in areas like Brainerd, which helps me out some when I'm on the road.

Got ya. Well you made a great choice. Sprint is hard to beat for data on data cards with their EVDO coverage and EVDO roaming agreement with ALLTEL.

[Buickman]

Originally Posted by Andy

Sprint is hard to beat for data on data cards with their EVDO coverage and EVDO roaming agreement with ALLTEL.

I didn't know they had a roaming agreement for EVDO with Alltel. I might get to test that out this weekend when I'm in Wisconsin.

[ndtoddman]

Actually you should get a native Sprint EVDO signal in the Grand Forks area. Sprint launched EVDO in the Fargo-Grand Forks area a couple months ago.

[Buickman]

Originally Posted by ndtoddman

Actually you should get a native Sprint EVDO signal in the Grand Forks area. Sprint launched EVDO in the Fargo-Grand Forks area a couple months ago.

Usually stay in Crookston, I have family there.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Buickman

I didn't know they had a roaming agreement for EVDO with Alltel. I might get to test that out this weekend when I'm in Wisconsin.

Yeah, Sprint can EVDO roam (and 1x) on ALLTEL and ALLTEL customers can roam on Sprint 1x and EVDO. It's a great agreement.