ST. LOUIS, July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless stands ready for the challenge as all eyes and ears prepare to fall on downtown St. Louis for the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and President Obama's ceremonial first pitch on July 14.
The company has deployed a Cell On Light Truck (COLT) to temporarily double its wireless network capacity for voice and data transmissions in the Busch Stadium vicinity as American and National League pros take to the diamond for one of baseball's most anticipated summer highlights.
Deploying this COLT is a proactive measure to accommodate the expected onslaught of network activity as baseball fans from around the country converge on St. Louis to enjoy this celebration of our national pastime and the many special events planned on the days leading up to the big game.
The temporary cell site, or COLT, can process thousands of calls and data transmissions each hour and is designed for use at special events that demand additional network capacity. With the improved network coverage, more customers can use their wireless phones concurrently to make calls; send and receive email and text, picture and video messages.
"Sports fans descending on St. Louis can keep their focus on the game because we have our eye on the network," said Brendan Fallis, president-Kansas/Missouri Region, Verizon Wireless. "Our customers can trust that Verizon Wireless will help them stay connected whether their loved one is seated three rows down or half-way across the country. Placing a COLT outside the ballpark is like having our own pinch-hitter--it enables us to meet a temporary increase in the stadium's call volume, and to provide our customers with the high quality service they expect from Verizon Wireless."
The ability to meet or exceed network demand, even on a short-term basis, is part of the company's commitment to stay ahead of the growing need for Verizon Wireless' voice and data services. Verizon Wireless has invested more than $50 billion since it was formed--$5.5 billion on average every year--to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network and to add new services. In 2008, the company invested more than $49.6 million in its Missouri network.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving more than 86.6 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 86,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit http://www.verizonwireless.com/. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
Verizon Wireless
CONTACT: Cheryl Bini Armbrecht, Cheryl.Bini@verizonwireless.com, or
Brenda Hill, Brenda.Hill@verizonwireless.com, both of Verizon Wireless,
+1-636-345-9400; or Caroline Villanueva, +1-314-725-5645,
caroline@sequel-llc.com, for Verizon Wireless
Web Site: http://www.verizonwireless.com/
