Verizon customers enjoy more coverage, better reliability, fast speeds

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., July 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Actual facts, not advertisements, tell the tale – all wireless networks do NOT offer customers the same experience in 2016. Even before Verizon invested another $5 billion in enhancing its network during the first half of the year, these truths were evident:

• Verizon has 2.34 million square miles of LTE network coverage. AT&T has nearly 600,000 square miles less LTE coverage than Verizon, T-Mobile has nearly 1 million square miles less than Verizon, and Sprint has nearly 1.5 million square miles less than Verizon.
• Third-parties who analyze network performance most often rate the Verizon network as fastest. In the latest RootMetrics national performance study, Verizon had consistently faster speeds than any other wireless network in 37 of 50 states, and tied in four others.
• A one percent gap in reliability equals nearly 10,000 more failed connections per minute versus Verizon's network. That's 5 billion more failures a year, any of which could be important if they occur during a critical time.
• A track record of sustained network investment makes a difference when it counts, in times of disasters and every day. Verizon has now invested about $116 billion in our network since 2000, more than any other wireless company.

Verizon's $5 billion network investment during the first six months of 2016 helps give customers an even better network experience when they need it, and in more places. That sustained investment means fast data speeds, more people across America experiencing 4G LTE technology, and reliability that can't be matched by mere advertising campaigns.

Fast data speeds.

During the first half of the year, Verizon network teams began bringing "carrier aggregation" to more than 450 cities across the nation. Carrier aggregation uses software to combine multiple channels into one large channel, allowing data sessions to complete and leave the network more quickly. The result is faster speeds for customers with carrier aggregation-capable devices.

Verizon's 4G LTE network is engineered to provide, on average, 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps while downloading and 2 Mbps to 5 Mbps while uploading. At those levels, our customers have an excellent experience for all their data needs – video, music, email and social – and Verizon's network provides those fast speeds consistently.

Coverage and capacity.

Our 2016 investment includes the expansion of Verizon's XLTE network technology, which doubles our 4G LTE bandwidth and provides customers with greater peak speeds covering nearly 2.4 million square miles in 466 markets nationwide, including 13 new markets launched in the last 90 days.

Verizon installed more than 1,500 new cell sites and added XLTE technology to more than 1,700 sites across the country from January to July, to accommodate exponential data usage growth and to enable customers to experience an unmatched level of reliable connectivity.

Teams also focused on handling ever-increasing traffic on America's largest and most reliable network by designing and deploying new small cell sites and Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) in locations across the U.S., including arenas hosting the Republican and Democratic national conventions this month. 

Small cells consist of a radio, antenna, power and a fiber connection and are strategically positioned on street lights, sides of buildings or other structures. They operate within Verizon's existing network coverage area to add additional 4G LTE capacity where it's needed most – in heavily trafficked areas.

Through mid-2016, Verizon deployed more than 2,100 small cell solution nodes, including dozens installed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in advance of Super Bowl 50.

Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) consist of unseen cables and numerous antennas distributed throughout high traffic areas such as stadiums, convention or shopping centers, office buildings, train stations, airline terminals, and dense, outdoor urban areas. So far this year, Verizon has deployed more than 350 DAS solutions.

And because rural coverage also matters, Verizon's LTE in Rural America (LRA) program includes 21 participants spanning 15 states and representing communities in 169 rural counties. The 21 LRA participants combined currently reach over 2.7 million people while covering approximately 120,000 square miles of America's rural areas with 4G LTE, an area larger than the state of Arizona.

Proven reliability and performance.

Verizon engineers work around the clock, checking and testing the performance of our network, to ensure that it's optimized across the nation. In a single day, they analyze over 1,000,000,000,000,000 (one quadrillion!) bytes of data.

The Verizon network ranks highest most often in leading studies, and in multiple tests, year after year. For the fifth consecutive testing period, Verizon's network was rated No. 1 in overall network performance among the four national wireless companies in the United States by RootMetrics® in its National RootScore® Report (Rankings based on the RootMetrics U.S. National RootScore Report: 2H, 2015.

For the third time, Verizon's network ranked highest across all six regions among U.S. wireless providers, according to J.D. Power 2016 Wireless Network Quality Performance Study℠, Volume 1. Verizon Wireless achieves the highest score in all three quality categories: calling, messaging, and data.

Consistent investment.

Last year, Verizon invested $11 billion+ in wireless network improvements, and has now invested more than $116 billion in our wireless network since 2000.

For more information about Verizon Wireless, visit www.verizon.com or follow @VerizonNews on Twitter at https://twitter.com/VerizonNews.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York City, has a diverse workforce of nearly 162,700 and generated nearly $132 billion in 2015 revenues. Verizon operates America's most reliable wireless network, with 113.2 million retail connections nationwide. The company also provides communications and entertainment services over mobile broadband and the nation's premiere all-fiber network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers worldwide.

Verizon's Online News Center: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts and other information are available at Verizon's online News Center at www.verizon.com/news/. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.

Rankings based on the RootMetrics US National RootScore Report: 2H 2015. Tested with best commercially available smartphones on 4 national mobile networks 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.

Media contact: Chuck Hamby908-559-6673 [email protected] @Chucktopia on Twitter

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SOURCE Verizon