4th Jan 2007 12:00
While much of Colorado was brought to a standstill during therecent one-two punch from Mother Nature, Verizon Wireless' networksailed through the storms. Backup batteries and generators kept cellsites humming while the company's network handled normal call volumes. £ "We prepare for weather-related emergencies all year long becausewe know the critical role of communications in public safety," saidWanda Oppenheim, Verizon Wireless executive director - network, forthe Mountain Region. "Our teams worked around the clock across thestate to keep our network on the air through both major snow storms." £ An example of this commitment could be found on Saxon Mountainnear Georgetown. Despite a loss of commercial power for most of theholiday week, a Verizon Wireless cell site, operating on a backupdiesel generator, continued to provide wireless service to theaffected area. A network crew used a snow cat to gain access to thelocation to replenish the generator's fuel supply and identify andreport the source of the commercial power loss. £ Verizon Wireless has invested more than $423 million in itsColorado network in the past four years - part of its $35 billionnationwide network investment over the last seven years - to ensurenetwork reliability and expanded coverage, capacity and capabilities. £ With more winter storms possible in the months ahead, the companyoffers the following emergency wireless communications tips forconsumers: £ -- Maintain a list of emergency phone numbers in your phone £ -- Have additional charged batteries and car-charger adapters available for back-up power £ -- Limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power £ -- Send brief text messages rather than making voice calls £ Note to Editors: £ If you are interested in setting up an interview, visiting aswitching location or taking a ride-along test drive with your localVerizon Wireless test man or woman, please contact Bob Kelley at303-694-8990 or [email protected] £ About Verizon Wireless £ Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wirelessvoice and data network, serving 57 million customers. The largest U.S.wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based onrevenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ, with60,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of VerizonCommunications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find moreinformation on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To preview andrequest broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills ofVerizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless MultimediaLibrary at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia. Copyright Business Wire 2007Related Shares:
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