Verizon Wireless Announces 4G LTE Network Enhancements in Vermont

Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ, NASDAQ: VZ):

WHO: Verizon Wireless, operator of the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network.

WHAT: Over the past several months, Verizon Wireless has enhanced fourth generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) network coverage in communities throughout Vermont. 4G LTE empowers Verizon Wireless customers with compatible devices to surf the Web, post status updates and photos, and download files wirelessly at speeds up to 10 times faster than customers on 3G networks.

WHERE: Over the past several months, Verizon Wireless enhanced network coverage in the following communities:

• Barre downtown
• Berlin along Route 2
• Brandon along Route 7
• Brownington along portions of I-91
• Duxbury in the vicinity of River Road
• Essex along Route 15
• Ferrisburgh in the vicinity of School House Road
• Ludlow in the vicinity of Sears Farm Road
• Montpelier along portions of Interstate 91
• Springfield along Interstate 91
• South Hero along Route 2
• Waterford along Interstate 93
• West Rutland along Route 4
• Woodstock in the vicinity of the Woodstock Inn and Resort

VIEW FROM VERIZON WIRELESS: “As much as we New Englanders depend on our apps, mobile devices and smart accessories, network quality and reliability have never been more important,” commented Dave MacBeth, Executive Director of Network for Verizon Wireless in New England. “As professional network engineers, we are extremely close to the customer experience because it’s our experience too - we live in the same communities, carry the same phones, and drive the same roads as our customers. We take network performance personally and we are constantly exploring ways to further improve it today, and to advance technologies that will support innovations of tomorrow. After all, we understand that the latest and greatest devices are only as good as the Network they run on.”

BACKGROUND: Verizon Wireless completed $378 million in wireless network enhancements across New England in 2014, increasing the company's regional network investment to nearly $4 billion since its inception in 2000. Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest and most reliable 4G LTE network. Available in more than 500 cities across the country, it is the only 4G network that is 100 percent LTE, and covers more than 97 percent of the U.S. population. To see 4G LTE coverage across the country and locally please visit: www.verizonwireless.com/lte.

The growth of the 4G LTE network has fostered development of new and innovative solutions as diverse as LTE-connected cars and remote medical diagnostic options.

In reports released in February 2015, Verizon Wireless was the overwhelming network performance leader in the rankings of four national wireless providers in the U.S. in the third National RootMetrics® RootScore® Report. Additionally, among the four major wireless carriers, Verizon won the Overall RootScore award in the state of Vermont and scored the highest in Network Reliability, Speed, Data, and Call Performance. In addition, Verizon also shared the highest rank for Text Performance.

RootMetrics, an independent mobile analytics firm, drove thousands of miles throughout Vermont, as well as tested many indoor locations. The company said its reports are designed to portray the consumer mobile network performance experience at a national and state level, beyond their metro-specific reports. Each RootScore is calculated from a combination of tests that are weighted to reflect the impact that a consumer would experience. Scores were based on RootMetrics testing performed in the second half of 2014 (July-December). The company ranked the four major U.S. wireless providers in six network performance categories: Overall, Reliability, Speed, Data, Call and Text.

ABOUT VERIZON WIRELESS:

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network. As the largest wireless company in the U.S., Verizon Wireless serves 108.2 million retail customers, including 102.1 million retail postpaid customers. Verizon Wireless is wholly owned by Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. For the latest news and updates about Verizon Wireless, visit our News Center at http://www.verizonwireless.com/news or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNews.

Network rankings based on RootMetrics US National and Vermont RootScore Reports, covering July – December 2014. Performance rankings of 4 mobile networks rely on scores calculated from random samples across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of Verizon. Visit www.rootmetrics.com for more details.