Verizon Wireless Tops Carriers Across Six New England States

WILMINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Verizon Wireless ranked highest among all other national wireless providers in New England, which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Wireless Call Quality Performance Study^SM, Volume 1, issued today.

"Customers are using our network not only to talk, but for texting, e-mailing, downloading music, visiting Web sites, and sharing pictures and videos"

The J.D. Power and Associates study measures call quality among the major U.S. wireless service providers based on seven factors that impact overall carrier performance. More than 24,300 wireless phone subscribers were surveyed between July and December 2009 about their experience with dropped calls, static/interference, failed connection on the first try, voice distortion, echoes, no immediate voice mail notification and no immediate text message notification. Based on their responses, Verizon Wireless ranked highest in five of six regions, including New England.

Verizon Wireless was also recognized for highest call quality in New England in the previous J.D. Power Call Quality Performance Study, issued in August 2009.

"Customers are using our network not only to talk, but for texting, e-mailing, downloading music, visiting Web sites, and sharing pictures and videos," said Ken Dixon, president of Verizon Wireless' New England Region. "It is important for us to not only meet the current needs of our customers, but to also stay ahead of their growing and ever-changing demand. That's why we continually invest in and vigorously test our network - to make sure we are providing a service they can rely on today and in the future."

Verizon Wireless regularly invests in its wireless network to provide customers with the reliable, high-quality service they expect from the company. Verizon Wireless' ongoing network investment now totals more than $2.6 billion in New England and more than $55 billion nationally over the past ten years.

Verizon Wireless has the largest and most reliable wireless 3G network coverage area in the United States. The company's 3G data network provides customers, in more locations than any other wireless carrier, the ability to browse the web quickly with fast page loading times, quickly download and play music, watch streaming video, send e-mails with attachments, download and play 3D games, video conference with contacts and rapidly share files. View a map of Verizon Wireless' 3G coverage, compared with competitors' 3G coverage at http://vzwmap.verizonwireless.com/dotcom/coveragelocator/images/maps/3Gcomparison.pdf.

Verizon Wireless' "most reliable wireless network" claim is based on network studies performed by real-life test men and test women who inspired the company's national advertising campaign. These engineers conduct more than 3.5 million voice call attempts and more than 19 million data tests annually on the Verizon Wireless network and other national wireless carriers' networks while traveling almost 1 million miles across the nation.

For more information visit http://www.verizonwireless.com.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 91 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 83,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NASDAQ 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.