Verizon Wireless Celebrates Marquette, Mich., As Company's 400th 4G
LTE Market
MARQUETTE, Mich., Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the
launch of Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology
in Marquette, Mich., the nation's
fastest 4G network, the company is hosting a celebration in
Marquette that gives residents a
chance to win one of 10 brand new 4G LTE smartphones. Verizon
hosted a citywide scavenger hunt for pins that were hidden in
secret locations around town. On Wednesday,
Oct. 17, 100 Verizon 4G LTE pins were hidden in secret
locations across Marquette.
Throughout the week, residents visited www.verizoninsider.com/400
for clues to the locations of the pins. Upon finding a pin, the
customers were invited to bring it to the Verizon Wireless store in
Marquette, located at 2840 U.S.
Highway 41 West on Thursday, Oct. 18
at 12 p.m., where there will be a
special celebration event, to see if they are a winner. Ten of the
pins are guaranteed to win a lucky participant a 4G LTE smartphone
at that event.
Today, Verizon will officially launch 4G LTE in Marquette, by providing a $10,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to The
Women's Center, a domestic violence prevention organization located
in Marquette; a technology grant
of tablets to Northern Michigan
University's CITE program and a total of $44,000 in HopeLine® grants to the following
domestic violence shelter and prevention organizations from across
the Upper Peninsula:
- Alliance Against Violence & Abuse, Inc. (Escanaba, Mich.),
- Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter
Home (Calumet, Mich.),
- Baraga County Shelter Home (L'Anse, Mich.),
- Caring House, Inc. (Iron Mountain,
Mich.),
- Dial Help, Inc. (Houghton,
Mich.),
- Diane Peppler Resource Center (Sault
Ste. Marie, Mich.),
- Domestic Violence Escape, Inc. (Ironwood, Mich.),
- Hannahville Indian Community (Wilson,
Mich.),
- Keweenaw Bay Indian Community VOCA (Baraga, Mich.),
- Bay Mills Indian Community (Brimley,
Mich),
- Family Counseling and Shelter Services (Monroe, Mich.).
Marquette is not the only
community in Michigan to benefit
from the expansion of Verizon's 4G LTE wireless network on
Oct. 18. The company will also expand
to Monroe, Allegan and Ionia counties. With this statewide expansion,
the company reaches a significant milestone, having invested
$2 billion in its Michigan network since the company was formed
in 2000.
"More and more Michiganders are now able to connect to the world
around them through the continued development of high-speed mobile
broadband services." Michigan
Governor Rick Snyder said.
"Broadband access is essential to a 21st Century economy
and to the reinvention of Michigan. It enables government to better
serve its customers, schools to expand their curriculums and
research capabilities, the health care industry to better engage
with patients, and private businesses to reach global markets. The
expansion of Verizon's 4G LTE network to Marquette is an important part of closing the
digital divide."
Executives from Verizon Wireless, including Marni Walden, chief operating officer, Verizon
Wireless, and T.J. Fox, region
president, Verizon Wireless, will be in Marquette to discuss Verizon's commitment to
bringing 4G LTE to cities of all sizes and rural locations across
the country, and share in the celebration.
"We are so happy to bring 4G LTE to areas like Marquette for businesses, the students at
Northern Michigan University and
customers who want to enjoy the very best experience in wireless
technology," said Fox. "As our 4G LTE wireless network continues to
expand, Marquette is a perfect
example of the evolution of Verizon's 4G LTE and our efforts to
ensure the technology is available not just in larger cities across
the country, but in small towns and rural areas as well," Fox
added. "Verizon is committed not only to bringing the latest
technology to Marquette, but also
to supporting organizations like The Women's Center and the many
others across the Upper Peninsula that provide such vital services
supporting and sheltering domestic violence victims."
Verizon has a long history of supporting domestic violence
organizations and working to help end the abusive cycle of violence
in our communities. Statistics show that one out of every four
women in America will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime.
Organizations like The Women's Center provide vital support
services to victims of this pervasive problem.
"In times of economic hardship, we find the need for our
services is the most pressing," said Phyllis Loonfoot, executive director, The
Women's Center. "It's also when we count on the support of
organizations like Verizon Wireless the most. This grant from
Verizon Wireless means we will continue to be able to provide our
services to women and children who have a very real need."
More About the HopeLine Program
Through the
award-winning HopeLine® program, Verizon Wireless collects
no-longer-used wireless devices in their stores and at special
events year-round. Phones that are collected are refurbished or
sold with the proceeds used to purchase newer wireless phones for
domestic violence survivors and to support domestic violence
shelters and organizations across the country, like the ones in the
Upper Peninsula. Phones that can't be refurbished are recycled in
an environmentally sound way.
Since 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 9 million phones;
awarded more than $14.2 million in
cash grants to prevention and awareness programs nationwide; and
donated more than 123,000 HopeLine phones with 406 million minutes
of airtime to victims, survivors and domestic violence
organizations. In 2011 in Michigan, more than 34,000 phones were
collected and more than $300,000 in
cash grants were awarded. The company is committed to ending
domestic violence and supporting victims of this silent
epidemic.
More about 4G LTE
With the 23 new and 41 expanded
markets on Oct. 18, the Verizon
Wireless 4G LTE network is now available in more than 410 markets
across the Unites States, surpassing its previously announced goal
of providing its mobile broadband service in 400 markets by the end
of this year. The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network covers nearly 4
out of 5 people in the U.S. – and offers more 4G LTE coverage in
the U.S. than all other networks combined.
In real-world, fully loaded network environments, 4G LTE users
should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second
(Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink. When
customers travel outside of 4G LTE coverage areas, devices
automatically connect to the Verizon Wireless 3G network, where
available, enabling customers to stay connected from coast to
coast.
Beyond Major Cities
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.
Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for a full list of 4G LTE
markets, including a list of markets that will be coming on
Oct. 18, and additional details about
the upcoming 4G LTE events being held in local Verizon Wireless
Communications Stores. For street-level detail of coverage
and more, please visit www.verizonwireless.com/4GLTE.
Digital Satellite News Feed Of Verizon Wireless
400th Market Celebration:
- Event News Footage from Marquette,
Mich., Verizon Wireless Store
- Marni Walden, chief operating
officer, T.J. Fox, region president,
presenting grant checks to teams of individuals from 11 domestic
violence organizations from the Upper Peninsula.
- Presentation of technology grant to Northern Michigan University
- Footage of representations "flipping the switch" for the launch
of Verizon's 400th 4G LTE market
- Remarks from Marquette, Mich.,
Mayor John Kivela
- Remarks from Congressman Benishek
- Footage of residents bringing 4G LTE map scavenger hunt pins to
the Verizon store
- Interviews – Public/participants in event and Verizon
Representatives
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Thursday, Oct. 18,
2012; 3:30 – 3:45 P.M. EDT
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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
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SOURCE Verizon Wireless