Customers in Hattiesburg and Laurel Will Soon Be Able to Enjoy the Nation’s Largest 4G LTE Network

HATTIESBURG, Miss. & SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Verizon Wireless announced at MobileCON^™ 2012 that customers in Hattiesburg will be able to experience the speed and capabilities offered through the innovative products and solutions available on its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, when the company introduces the service on Oct. 18. With the new and expanded markets, the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network will be available in 417 markets across the United States, surpassing its goal to cover 400 markets by the end of 2012.

“With our 4G LTE network, customers can take advantage of the speed offered by our 4G LTE devices and the innovative solutions that leverage 4G LTE technology to enhance connectivity”

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network offers more coverage than all U.S. wireless providers combined and is the nation’s largest 4G LTE network. On Thursday, Oct. 18, customers who visit or live in Laurel or the Greater Hattiesburg area, including Oak Grove and Petal, will be able to surf the Web, stream music and video, and stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues, all with speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G. Verizon also has 4G LTE coverage in other Mississippi areas including Jackson, Biloxi/Gulfport, Columbus, Oxford, Starkville and Tupelo.

“With our 4G LTE network, customers can take advantage of the speed offered by our 4G LTE devices and the innovative solutions that leverage 4G LTE technology to enhance connectivity,” said Krista Bourne, president—Houston/Gulf Coast Region, Verizon Wireless. “Our aggressive 4G LTE deployment strategy has enabled us to provide customers with the best wireless data experience possible, and we will continue to strengthen and expand our network to provide consistently outstanding 4G LTE speeds.”

Celebrations Across the Country

In celebration of the 400 market milestone, Hattiesburg will be hosting an event on Oct. 18 in the Highway 98 store. Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Innovations with 4G LTE Technology

Verizon Wireless customers can choose from the largest selection of 4G LTE devices and solutions to experience the nation’s fastest 4G network. 4G LTE devices range from tablets and mobile hotspots to the latest smartphones and more. The newest 4G LTE devices include the DROID RAZR^™ M by Motorola and the Samsung Galaxy S^® III. Details can be found at www.verizonwireless.com/4G LTE. Information on plans and pricing for consumers and businesses is available at www.verizonwireless.com/plans.

The company also has opened Verizon Innovation Centers in Waltham, Mass., and San Francisco. The centers serve as laboratories where more than 140 companies of all sizes are working with Verizon Wireless engineers to harness the speed and power of LTE technology for both business customers and consumers. More than a dozen commercial products were fostered in the Verizon Innovation Centers and more are in the pipeline. Thousands of developers are also involved in bringing their applications to market on the 4G LTE network.

Verizon Wireless has expanded its 4G LTE network beyond major cities with its LTE in Rural America program. Seventeen rural carriers have announced their participation in the program and five have introduced the service. Verizon Wireless customers can also take advantage of HomeFusion℠ Broadband, a solution that leverages the power and speed of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network to deliver high-speed, in-home Internet access for residential broadband, particularly in areas where Internet options are limited or are not currently available.

In real-world, fully loaded network environments, Verizon Wireless 4G LTE customers should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.

Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network and a list of current markets.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 94.2 million retail customers, including 88.8 million retail postpaid customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 78,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: 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.