Verizon Wireless Launches 16 New Cell Sites In NY Metro Region

The battle for your mobile business is officially on. As if it wasn't already on before. With AT&T taking loads of heat over the past few years for having oversaturated networks in major cities -- namely New York City and San Francisco -- Verizon Wireless has obviously seen what not to do. They have pushed their network as being the one that's more reliable, and the one with more 3G in more places. The last thing Verizon wants is to run into similar network issues once the iPhone 4 comes to town next month. So what better to do than to launch new cell sites in preparation for the influx of new customers?

Just days after introducing the iPhone 4 as the carrier's new flagship smartphone, VZW has now announced an NYC cell site expansion. In all, sixteen new cell sites will be turned on in New York City, with five launching in Rockland / Suffolk counties, three in Westchester County and more in Nassau, New York and Putnam counties. That pretty much covers the entire NY Metro Region, and will no doubt help deal with the boost in demand from the iPhone 4.

What's most interesting about this launch is that these are all 3G towers. Not 4G / LTE towers. Verizon has spent a good bit of time boasting about their LTE network, but given that the iPhone will only be 3G, it makes sense to bolster this first. Of course, nowhere does Verizon admit that the addition of the iPhone 4 is the reason behind this, but you have to believe that it's playing a role in some small way.

Verizon Wireless Strengthens Industry-Leading 3G Network in the New York Metro Area With Sixteen New Cell Sites
Enhanced cell sites keep residents connected to email, music & mobile Web
Verizon Wireless continues to set the pace for 3G network while simultaneously rolling out and maintaining robust 4G network
Company strives to offer customers best network options to suit their needs

WARREN, N.J., Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless, provider of the nation's largest and most reliable 3G network, today announced the activation of sixteen new cell sites in the New York Metro Region. The company turned on five new cell sites in both Rockland and Suffolk Counties, three in Westchester County, and additional cell sites in Nassau, New York and Putnam Counties. Wireless calling, text messaging and mobile Web surfing on the company's award-winning 3G network are now easier and faster for residents and visitors in these communities.

"While establishing our recently-launched 4G LTE network is something we take very seriously, it is important for our customers to know that we are also committed to holding our position as the most reliable 3G network in the nation," said Pat Devlin, New York Metro region president for Verizon Wireless. "As it stands now, the 3G network is what most of our customers are using now. While many will eventually cross over to 4G for business applications and heavier data usage, a good percentage will find that our 3G network will continue to suit their needs very well for the foreseeable future."

The expanded coverage and increased data capacity enables customers in these areas to enjoy better reception, fewer dropped calls and faster download speeds when using their wireless devices to talk, text, email, view high-quality videos and access VZ Navigator's turn-by-turn directions.  Additionally, these network enhancements further boost Verizon Wireless' network reliability, particularly during emergencies such as power outages and extreme weather conditions when wireless communications are needed the most.  These new cell sites are part of Verizon Wireless' aggressive multi-billion dollar network investment each year to stay ahead of the growing demand for the company's voice and data services.

Nationally, one hundred real-life Verizon Wireless test men and women drive more than 90 specially-equipped vehicles nearly one million miles each year on the country's most frequently traveled roadways to confirm that voice calls and data connections are successful on the first attempt and stay connected.  Vehicles are equipped with computers that automatically make more than three million voice call attempts and more than 16 million data tests annually on Verizon Wireless' network and the networks of other carriers.  

The new cell sites and their coverage areas include:

    * Monsey, NY (Rockland County)  
    * Spring Valley, NY (Rockland County)  
    * Suffern, NY (Rockland County)
    * Suffern Park, NY (Rockland County)
    * Palisades, NY (Rockland County)
    * East Islip, NY (Suffolk County)
    * Blue Point, NY (Suffolk County)
    * Medford, NY (Suffolk County)
    * Wading River, NY (Suffolk County)
    * Village of The Branch, NY (Suffolk County)
    * Bronxville, NY (Westchester County)
    * Yonkers, NY (Westchester County)
    * Croton on Hudson, NY (Westchester County)
    * Merrick, NY (Nassau County)
    * New York City (New York County)
    * and West Paterson, NY (Putnam County)

For more information on Verizon Wireless, please visit www.verizonwireless.com or call 1-800-2-JOIN IN. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VzW_NYMetro