Verizon Wireless and Governor Perdue Celebrate Company's 4G LTE Network in Georgia

/PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless and Governor Sonny Perdue teamed up at December 7 at the state Capitol to demonstrate the impressive speeds and "wow factor" of Georgia's first large-scale 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless network. Verizon Wireless officially launched the LTE network in Atlanta and Athens on Sunday, December 5. The initial availability of 4G LTE in Atlanta, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Athens is part of the company's national rollout in 38 major metropolitan areas, immediately reaching one-third of all Americans.

"The inclusion of Atlanta and Athens on the list of the first cities nationwide to get this next generation technology makes perfect sense," said Jeff Mango, president – Georgia/Alabama Region, Verizon Wireless. "Atlanta is one of the leading technology hubs in the United States and Athens is the home of the University of Georgia, an internationally recognized educational and research institution. We are thrilled to introduce the fastest, most advanced 4G mobile network in America to Georgians in these two cities and look forward to a statewide 4G network in the near future."

"Verizon Wireless has long been recognized in the wireless industry as tirelessly committed to its network. Georgia's 4G LTE network in Atlanta and Athens is further evidence of that constant commitment to performance and reliability," said Governor Sonny Perdue.

The 4G LTE network in Atlanta covers 4.1 million people and over 2,500 square miles. All of downtown Atlanta is covered including the facilities at the Georgia Aquarium, Georgia Dome, Philip's Arena and Turner Field. Coverage extends as far west as Lithia Springs and Austell, south of Fayetteville, east past Lithonia and north to Alpharetta. Atlanta-area universities impacted by the 4G LTE network footprint are Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Georgia State University, Clark Atlanta University, Spelman, Morehouse, Mercer and Oglethorpe. Atlanta's 10 major shopping malls are also covered including North Point, Perimeter, Lenox, Southlake, Cobb Galleria, Gwinnett Place, Towne Center, Discovery Mills, and Stonebriar.

The Athens 4G LTE coverage area includes over 180,000 residents and over 550 square miles, including downtown Athens and the University of Georgia's 33,000 students. The network covers the 78 Loop, four miles north of the Loop, west to Coggins Industrial Park, south to Watkinsville and east to Winterville.

"We are extremely excited about the possibilities this technology brings to enterprise and government users, businesses and individual laptop users in Athens and eventually throughout Georgia. What we witnessed today is just one example of what this new technology allows us to do," said Kathy Hoard, Mayor Pro Tem, Athens-Clarke County.

Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network provides higher data rates, better coverage, improved mobility and performance, end-to-end Quality of Service, security and simplified roaming. While Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network promises much more than speed, this first rollout gives Georgia's mobile workforce the ability to work significantly faster and with improved latency, increasing productivity and the opportunity to get work done wherever business takes them.

Initially, Verizon Wireless 4G LTE services can be accessed on laptop computers equipped with either the LG VL600 or Pantech UML290 wireless modems. Both USB modems provide backward-compatibility with the Verizon Wireless 3G network. If laptop users travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, they will automatically stay connected on the company's 3G network, the nation's largest and most reliable.

Additional 4G devices will be launched in coming months, and the company expects consumer-oriented LTE handsets will be available by mid-2011.

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