By Telecom Lead Team: LTE major Verizon Wireless has
invested $205 million to rollout 4G LTE wireless services in 14 Florida
markets. In 2012, the company will continue to expand 4G LTE to cover more
Floridians, as well as further reinforce its 3G network.
Customers in Miami, Orlando, Tampa Bay, Fort Lauderdale,
Jacksonville, Gainesville, Lakeland, Daytona Beach, Sarasota, Bradenton,
Tallahassee, Fort Myers, Pensacola and West Palm Beach, representing nearly 75
percent of the state’s population, now have access to the Verizon Wireless 4G
LTE network, the most advanced wireless technology in the world.
“Floridians are very mobile, tech-savvy customers
and we are always investing and working to keep our network and services the
very best for customers across the state,” said Frank Wise, network
executive director for the Verizon Wireless Florida region.
Additional highlights of the Verizon Wireless 4G and 3G
network investment in Florida during 2011 include:
Development of the company’s first 4G LTE C.O.W. (cell on
wheels) in the state, which can be deployed to reinforce 4G LTE services in
cases of hurricanes and other emergencies, or for the many large special
events, sports championships, festivals, and other large gatherings in Florida
that attract visitors from across the world each year.
Activation of numerous new transmission sites, in
addition to software and hardware upgrades to hundreds of existing locations,
to reinforce 4G and 3G network coverage throughout the state.
Upgrades to five “super-switch” network
processing centers in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa Bay, Jupiter and Pembroke
Pines. The facilities are designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes,
feature large-scale on-site power generation, and numerous other back-up
systems to ensure reliable handling of tens of millions of wireless calls and
data transmissions each day. The super-switches serve as the hub for
network operations in the event of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and any type
of disaster response.
Installation of high-tech in-building systems that use
dozens of small wireless transmitters to ensure strong inside coverage at
high-priority public safety facilities such as police stations, emergency
command centers and hospitals, as well as high-traffic wireless consumer
locations such as hotels, resorts and tourist attractions.
Deployment of technicians and special vehicles to measure
connection quality on the Verizon Wireless network versus other carriers. Using
sophisticated testing equipment, the local test teams traveled nearly 50,000
miles and conducted more than 200,000 voice call attempts and more than one
million data tests to ensure network superiority.
The investment to enhance network reliability in Florida
is an ongoing focus for Verizon Wireless. Since the company formed in
2000, more than $2.3 billion has been invested to build and enhance Verizon
Wireless network coverage and services for customers in the state. Nationally,
Verizon Wireless has invested more than $65 billion to increase the coverage
and capacity of its premier nationwide networks and to add new services.
