News Release

2006 Hurricane Season Information Web Site For Wireless Users Launched At VerizonWireless.com

Emergency Preparedness Tips, Customer Testimonials and More Available

June 1, 2006
Tom Pica
Thomas.Pica@VerizonWireless.com
908-306-4385

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BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless, owner and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless network, has opened its 2006 Hurricane Center page on its Web site to help consumers in hurricane-prone areas prepare for the 2006 North Atlantic hurricane season, which officially starts today. The Web pages, which can be found at http://news.vzw.com/criticalevents/index.html, offer hurricane preparation tips, network information, customer testimonials from the 2005 hurricane season and customer service contact information.

“At Verizon Wireless, we have seen that preparation equals performance and we want to help consumers communicate and stay safe before, during and after storms,” said Lowell McAdam, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Verizon Wireless. “In the same way we have made vast preparations to the Verizon Wireless network to keep it operating as the most reliable wireless network, we hope customers will also prepare themselves for what is being forecasted as another active hurricane season.”

Customers visiting the site can access the following information:

• Hurricane Preparation Tips - Helpful tips on how consumers can prepare an emergency communications plan for the hurricane season and advice on ways to stay connected even in the worst weather
  
• Verizon Wireless Network Preparations - Information about Verizon Wireless' year-round network investments to ready the network, network tests conducted during the previous hurricane seasons and Verizon Wireless plans for Wireless Emergency Communications Centers
  
• Hurricane Testimonials - First-hand feedback from Gulf Coast and Florida customers on the reliability of Verizon Wireless' network during the extraordinary 2005 hurricane season
  
• Customer Service Contact Information - Information about how to contact customer service representatives

Verizon Wireless is committed to reliability by design with Verizon Wireless investing significantly in network cell sites, switches and infrastructure throughout the years. Today, about 90 percent of the company’s cell sites in hurricane-prone regions also have on-site back-up generators, which are routinely tested to ensure they are ready in the event the local electrical power source is knocked out. In addition, Verizon Wireless maintains a fleet of mobile generators and Cells on Wheels (COWs) - self-powered call transmitters that can be rolled into hard-hit locations to provide additional service. The Verizon Wireless team of real-life test men and women, backed by the company’s Network Operations team, test and retest the network’s performance and durability all year round.

Verizon Wireless preparation for the 2006 hurricane season includes:

• The Verizon Wireless network is built for reliability in emergencies, with battery back-up power at all facilities, as well as generators installed at all switching facilities and many cell site locations. This capability is critical when power goes out and if roads are impassable in the wake of a storm.
• The company has a fleet of Cells on Wheels (COWs) and Cells on Light Trucks (COLTs), which are self-powered transmitters that can be rolled into hard-hit locations or areas that need extra network capacity. Network teams also have hundreds of generators ready to go to further strengthen the network.
• Verizon Wireless is fully prepared to again quickly set up Wireless Emergency Communication Centers (WECCs) to serve residents and rescue agencies in the area(s) in the greatest need.
• The company has developed and practiced a comprehensive emergency response plan, including preparing emergency command centers in the case of a storm or crisis.
• During Florida's tax-free period, Verizon Wireless offered an additional 25 percent discount on phone batteries, chargers and other accessories in its company-owned Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in Florida, giving residents the opportunity to save money and avoid the rush for essential items once actual hurricane warnings go up.

(Editor's Note: Information for media can be found online in the Verizon Wireless Hurricane Center for Media at http://news.vzw.com/news/2006/06/pr2006-05-31.html

High resolution images and broadcast quality video of Verizon Wireless' hurricane network preparation are available at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia) 

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation’s most reliable wireless network, serving 53 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ, 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.