VERIZON WIRELESS SELECTS NORTEL FOR BROADBANDACCESS NETWORK EXPANSION


BEDMINSTER, N.J. ?March 23, 2004 /Wi-Fi Technology News/- Verizon Wireless, the nation?s leading wireless service provider, has signed a two-year agreement with Nortel Networks [NYSE/TSX:NT] to provide wireless infrastructure technology for its BroadbandAccess service which uses Verizon Wireless? third generation (3G) data network ? the fastest commercially available wide-area wireless data service offered in the United States today.

Earlier this year, Verizon Wireless announced that, beginning later this year, it plans to make BroadbandAccess service available throughout additional portions of its national footprint. BroadbandAccess is powered by a CDMA2000 1xEV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) third generation (3G) technology.

Through 2005, Verizon Wireless is expected to spend US$167 million on Nortel Networks wireless infrastructure technology that enables BroadbandAccess. Nortel Networks was a primary supplier in San Diego for Verizon Wireless? initial commercial deployment of BroadbandAccess in October 2003. Nortel Networks will upgrade existing base stations throughout the network with new Metro Cell base stations, modules and associated services.

?Nortel Networks was the network infrastructure provider in San Diego of our commercial 3G network,? said Richard Lynch, executive vice president and chief technical officer, Verizon Wireless. ?We have enjoyed tremendous success in San Diego and our customers have told us how BroadbandAccess has improved their productivity and their ability to respond more quickly to their customers.?

The BroadbandAccess service allows enterprise customers to access information when they are out of the office at speeds that are faster than those offered via any other commercially available wide-area wireless data service in the United States. With data transmission bursts of up to 2 Megabits per second (Mbps), BroadbandAccess customers could download a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment (for example, a small PowerPoint presentation or a large PDF file), or receive three digital pictures (each 400 x 600 pixels) in less than 30 seconds, which is three to four times faster than using EDGE service, and as much as 10 times faster than on a competitor?s GPRS network. Customers can also use this high-speed data service to view rich graphic content, video, music and more.

?1xEV-DO is gaining momentum as a global solution, providing enhanced 3G wireless services to end users everywhere,? said Pascal Debon, president, Wireless Networks, Nortel Networks. ?Nortel Networks congratulates Verizon Wireless for initiating the wide-scale roll out of 1xEV-DO, further proving that 3G is real and is quickly being embraced worldwide.?

Nortel Networks has been providing wireless equipment to Verizon Wireless and its predecessor companies since 1996. The agreement to provide wireless infrastructure technology for Verizon Wireless? BroadbandAccess service is supplemental to existing ongoing supply agreements between the two companies.


About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the nation?s leading provider of wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice and data network and 37.5 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications [NYSE:VZ] and Vodafone [NYSE and LSE: VOD]. Find more information on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com. To receive broadcast-quality video footage of Verizon Wireless operations, log onto http://www.thenewsmarket.com/verizonwireless.


About Nortel Networks

Nortel Networks is an industry leader and innovator focused on transforming how the world communicates and exchanges information. The Company is supplying its service provider and enterprise customers with communications technology and infrastructure to enable value-added IP data, voice and multimedia services spanning Wireless Networks, Wireline Networks, Enterprise Networks, and Optical Networks. As a global company, Nortel Networks does business in more than 150 countries. More information about Nortel Networks can be found on the Web at http://www.nortelnetworks.com.