Verizon Wireless Invests $155 Million to Enhance Florida Network During 2008

Florida Network Now 100 Percent 3G; Investment Totals $1.8 Billion in State since 2000

Verizon Wireless announced today that it invested nearly $155 million to further expand and enhance coverage to customers throughout Florida in 2008. The company’s ongoing network investment now totals $1.8 billion in Florida since the company was formed.

The company completed enhancements to its 3G high-speed wireless network throughout the state this year, allowing customers to access advanced wireless services more reliably and at even faster broadband speeds. The enhancements, which took nearly two years to complete, entailed installing the most advanced hardware and software on thousands of cell sites in the Verizon Wireless network in Florida, as well as updating and optimizing technology in five Verizon Wireless regional network switching facilities throughout the state.

In addition, Verizon Wireless constructed more than 90 new advanced digital cell sites throughout the state in 2008.

These upgrades help provide high-speed access to advanced services such as V CAST – which allows customers to stream video clips, play cutting-edge 3D games and download full song tracks over the air; and VZ Navigator – a location-based service offering maps, audible driving directions, traffic updates, gas station locations and pricing.

This technology also enables customers to wirelessly access their e-mail and calendars, the Internet and other information anytime, anywhere via a secure connection with the company’s BroadbandAccess service. BroadbandAccess offers average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits per second and upload speeds of 500-800 kbps, which means being able to upload or download a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment – the equivalent of a small PowerPoint^® presentation or a large PDF file – in less than two seconds.

Ted Leonsis joins Bridgevine Board of Directors

TED LEONSIS JOINS BRIDGEVINE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AOL Vice Chairman Emeritus, Internet visionary underscores value of new consumer web site for bundled services

ATLANTA, Georgia and VERO BEACH, Florida — February 27, 2008 — Bridgevine, Inc., the trusted source for consumers looking to conveniently compare and shop for the services that shape their lives, today announced the appointment of Ted Leonsis, AOL Vice Chairman Emeritus, to the Bridgevine board of directors. One of the nation’s most accomplished businessmen, Leonsis joins Bridgevine with a legendary background as an Internet visionary, new media entrepreneur, professional sports team owner, filmmaker and respected leader.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ted as Bridgevine’s newest board member,” said Vinny Olmstead, president and CEO of Bridgevine. “Clearly, Ted brings incredible insight and knowledge to our team. His support and interest in Bridgevine underscores our company’s innovative value proposition and reinforces our vision as we set out to transform the way consumers shop for a broad array of services efficiently and cost effectively.”

Leonsis joins the Bridgevine board of directors just as the company has launched its Internet site enabling consumers to compare and shop for the best deals on services. From HDTV and VoIP to digital entertainment and home security, Bridgevine.com lets consumers choose individual services that are best for them or create personalized bundles from trusted providers resulting in saved time and money. Bridgevine’s partner network includes trusted brand name providers such as Comcast, AT&T, D-Link, Time Warner, Verizon, DIRECTV, RealNetworks, Panasonic and GameFly.

“I am impressed with Bridgevine’s leadership team, its scope of partnerships and its underlying technology,” said Leonsis. “Undoubtedly, there is a need for simplification in evaluating and selecting the services that we all depend on in our lives. Bridgevine is delivering on its promise to help consumers save time and money as they choose services from trusted providers, and I look forward to lending my insight and direction as the company embarks upon its next stage of growth.”

During Leonsis’ 15-year career with AOL, the company enjoyed its greatest periods of growth and financial success. Leonsis now serves as vice chairman emeritus, having stepped down from day-to-day management at AOL in 2006.

Ted currently also serves as Chairman of Revolution Money (formerly GratisCard, Inc.), an innovative Web 2.0 payment platform and credit-card service, and Clearspring Technologies, the leading provider of cross-platform widget services. Earlier in his career, Leonsis was the founder of several new media companies including Redgate Communications Corporation, a pioneering new media company that was the first company acquired by AOL. Leonsis was the founder of six personal computer magazines, authored four books, and worked on the introduction of the IBM PC and the Apple Macintosh.

Ted is also the founder, chairman and majority owner of Lincoln Holdings LLC, a sports and entertainment company that holds ownership rights in several Washington, DC entities including 100 percent of the NHL's Washington Capitals and the WNBA's Washington Mystics. Lincoln Holdings also owns approximately 44 percent of Washington Sports and Entertainment Limited Partnership (WSELP), which owns the NBA's Washington Wizards, DC's Verizon Center and the Baltimore-Washington Ticketmaster franchise. In addition to Lincoln Holdings LLC, Ted also has investments and/or sits on the board of directors for several companies including: Agents LLC; Animal Attraction; Beacon Capital Strategies LLC; Bridgevine, Inc; Capitol Acquisition Corp.; Geneva Acquisition Corp.; GridPoint; Lunchbox Digital; Mahalo.com; Mobile Posse; Object Video; Podshow and Qloud.

A major philanthropist, Leonsis is very involved with numerous charities, including Best Buddies, Hoop Dreams, See Forever Foundation, Youth Aids and others through the work of the Leonsis Foundation. Among his many honors, Leonsis has been named Washington's Businessman of the Year, a Washingtonian of the Year, one of the 20 most influential people in sports, one of America's most creative executives and a top 10 entrepreneur of the year.

About Bridgevine
Founded in 2003, Bridgevine, Inc. is headquartered in Vero Beach, FL with an office in Atlanta, GA. The company’s consumer-facing website, Bridgevine.com, is a trusted source for consumers to learn about, compare and shop for the services that shape their lives. From communications to entertainment to security, Bridgevine.com lets consumers choose individual services that are best for them, or create personalized bundles from trusted providers resulting in saved time and money. Unlike other “comparison” shopping websites, Bridgevine’s powerful technology offers a unified shopping cart, real-time pricing, order status and scheduling to deliver the best customer experience in the industry. Bridgevine’s deep integration with leading service providers from across the country — including Comcast, AT&T, D-Link, Time Warner Cable, Verizon, DIRECTV, RealNetworks, Panasonic, GameFly and more — enables Bridgevine to deliver the most accurate information on services, pricing and special promotions, adding even more value to the bundled services shopping experience. The company’s proprietary ecommerce platform is licensed by leading retailers, websites and Fortune 500 companies, making it possible for them to monetize online, call center and in-store traffic. Bridgevine was ranked 57 on the prestigious 2007 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies. For more information, please visit www.bridgevine.com.

Verizon Wireless Announces Major Expansion of Broadcast-Quality Mobile TV

V CAST Mobile TV Plays for the First Time on Wireless Phones in Suffolk County and Staten Island; Service Enhanced in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Northern New Jersey

Now more Verizon Wireless customers can access broadcast-quality television on select mobile TV-enabled handsets right in their neighborhoods. In a continuing effort to provide its customers with a wide range of multimedia and entertainment options, Verizon Wireless today announced the expansion of V CAST Mobile TV service to include:



-- The greater part of Suffolk County including Lindenhurst, West Islip,
Holbrook, Centereach and from Coram east to Riverhead
-- All of Staten Island
-- Enhanced service in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx
-- Portions of Essex, Union, Passaic and Morris Counties in New Jersey

V CAST Mobile TV was first introduced in Manhattan and limited portions of the surrounding boroughs and New Jersey in May 2007. Additional transmitters, added in September, expanded the service to include Nassau County, greater areas of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, as well as Bergen and Hudson counties in New Jersey.

V CAST Mobile TV features live content and other programming 24 hours-a- day from well-known entertainment brands including CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX Mobile, MTV, NBC 2GO, NBC News2GO and Nickelodeon. Customers can watch their favorite network TV shows, sports and breaking news, including weather reports, when they're taking the bus or train to and from work, waiting at the airport, or killing time while waiting for the kids at school or in doctors' offices.

ESPN Mobile TV, CBS Mobile and FOX Mobile to Bring Full-length College Bowl Games to V CAST Mobile TV Phones with MediaFLO USA and Verizon Wireless

On-the-go Fans Can Catch Dozens of Live Bowl Game Match-ups

This holiday season, NCAA football fans will be able to watch live, full-length college bowl games from a variety of broadcast and cable networks on their mobile phones.

Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless provider, and MediaFLO USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq:QCOM), have teamed up to bring fans full-length coverage of 24 bowl games, kicking off with ESPN Mobile TV's telecast of the Poinsettia Bowl on December 20 and wrapping up with ESPN's GMAC Bowl on January 6. Coverage of the 2008 bowl games will be provided by ESPN Mobile TV, CBS Mobile and FOX Mobile through V CAST Mobile TV from Verizon Wireless, a service of
MediaFLO USA.

V CAST Mobile TV subscribers will have convenient access to some of the season's biggest college football moments right on their phones -- a significant benefit for sports fans traveling during the holidays. ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN's first 24/7 channel for the mobile platform, will provide several highly anticipated, must-see games, including the Alamo Bowl on December 29, which will pit two schools steeped in college football tradition against one another with Penn State taking on Texas A&M, and Alabama head coach Nick Saban will cap off his first year back on the
college sidelines as his Alabama Crimson Tide faces off against the Colorado Buffaloes in the PetroSun Independence Bowl on December 30. Additionally, the Virginia Cavaliers will look to put the clamps on the high-scoring Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Gator Bowl on January 1 on CBS Mobile, and FOX Mobile will broadcast the Cotton Bowl on January 1, pitting Arkansas against Big XII runner-up, the University of Missouri.

Verizon presents NFL from new angle

American football aficionados who receive video and broadband services from Verizon may be interested to know that the company has introduced a new service, aimed at enhancing their viewing experience.

NFL Network Game Extra will provide virtual control room facilities, which will allow the viewer to control the camera angles they view the action from when they watch live online broadcasts on Thursdays and Saturdays. Other features provided with the new service include the ability to access game statistics and video highlights on demand, plus a chat function.

Bill Heilig, vice president of consumer broadband product development at Verizon, believes the new service will result in "the best NFL experience this year" for viewers. They will be able to "expand their already rich television viewing through a highly interactive, online experience that gives them unprecedented control over what they see and hear on the field", he claims.

Google talks to phone giants

Internet search engine giant Google is reportedly in talks with both Sprint and Verizon about putting its software on mobile phones.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that talks between the companies are at an advanced stage. By entering into the wireless world, Google would have a new arena for its advertising. It already holds a dominant position in the lucrative sector of online advertising. Avi Greengart, an analyst for Current Analysis, told Reuters: "If Google is going to make a splash, it's going to have to say (to operators) 'offer our phone and we'll share the revenue'."

According to the report in the Wall Street Journal there will be an announcement in the next two weeks that "GPhone" software will be available to consumers by mid-2008. However, others have said that a deal with mobile operators is still a long way off. Use of other carriers' mobile networks is key to any Google wireless plans.

Verizon Donates $60,000 and Free Calling Services to Aid Victims of Southern California Wildfires

Verizon Helps Keep Evacuees, Responders Connected During Crisis

Verizon is stepping up with a $60,000 grant to assist Southern Californians forced from their homes amid devastating wildfires that have swept across the region.

Verizon is also providing evacuees with a range of free calling services - from cell phones to automatic call-forwarding - to help them stay connected during the natural disaster. "Ourhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif neighbors are in trouble and we want to help," said Verizon West Region President Tim McCallion. "Communicating in times of crisis is critical, and obviously many people need food, shelter and other basic necessities. We are providing an array of financial and operational support to those who have been displaced by these devastating fires, and we intend to help make the homeowners, business owners and relief workers' lives a little easier during this very trying time."

The Verizon Foundation will donate $60,000 to the American Red Cross for fire victims, with the grant to be divided equally among the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego and Riverside county chapters of the Red Cross.

High speed internet for Trump properties

Verizon will soon be providing Donald Trump's properties at United Nations Plaza and Trump Park Avenue with its FiOS internet service, offering residents in the Trump World Tower new facilities.

Internet access at speeds of up to 50 megabits per second can be provided by the technology and it is delivered via an advanced digital all-fiber-optic network. Trump Organization chairman and president Donald Trump said: "Trump properties are known for offering the finest in both services and amenities. Having Verizon FiOS services delivered on fiber optics to my buildings continues that high standard of excellence I demand.

"We know our residents will appreciate our foresight in getting them the best in telecommunications services from Verizon." He added that he is currently working with Verizon to bring FiOS to all of his properties. Verizon announced earlier this week that residents of the 1,416-unit Eastchester Heights apartment complex in the Bronx can now benefit from the company's FiOS internet service.

Comcast Self-Install VoIP Kits Launching within six months...

11:37AM Tuesday Sep 04 2007

Comcast is now offering self-install VoIP voice kits, and is testing self-install wireless phone VoIP kits in San Francisco, with launch expected in Boston, Denver and Philadelphia within six months. The switch should drastically reduce Comcast VoIP install costs, giving them a leg up in the triple-play battle with phone operators.

Verizon incurs $880 on average per customer to get TV installed. While Comcast added 671,000 VoIP customers last quarter, Verizon lost 723,000 landline customers while adding 167,000 TV customers. "Comcast tentatively plans to charge customers $250 for three cordless phones that link to their cable modems. The total time from opening the box to getting a dial tone is 30 minutes or less, Avgiris said. "It's for the customer who says, 'I want the service, and I want it now,'" said Avgiris."

Comcast VoIP is exploding -- the company added three million VoIP customers in just two years, quickly becoming the nation's largest VoIP operator.

The company has had to hire 12,000 people in the past year and a half to help manage VoIP demand, and will spend $450 million adding telephone customers in 2008.

Verizon Expands Broadband In Western Pennsylvania

Verizon has announced that it has rolled out its high-speed Internet services in new areas of Pennsylvania, giving more people access to broadband.

Over 4,300 phone lines were upgraded over the last few months so they could handle high-speed Internet, the company claims. New equipment has been installed in telecommunications facilities across eight of the most rural counties in the state.

William B Petersen, president of Verizon Pennsylvania, said: "Verizon is enabling more rural residents across Pennsylvania to make the high-speed connections that are important to them. "Verizon's ongoing, significant investment in Pennsylvania means that many more rural communities have access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet service."

Some of the counties involved have as few as 29 working phone lines. Meanwhile, Verizon has said that it is soon to release the LG VX8350 clamshell phone, the successor to the popular VX8300, reports IntoMobile.

Verizon Offers Mobile Banking

Verizon has announced that it has teamed up with Bank of America to offer mobile banking.

Verizon customers who have signed up the company's Mobile Web 2.0 service will now be able to access their bank accounts through their cell phones. Customers will be able to view balances, make deposits and even move money between accounts. Additionally, using the new service, customers will be able to access directions to the nearest Bank of America branches and ATMs.

The Mobile Web 2.0 service costs $5 per month. Meanwhile, Verizon has improved and reconfigured its entire wireless web service to make it easier to access.

It has changed the wireless home page by putting in shortcuts to content and drop down bars offering access to news. There are also new content channels which can be accessed by subscribers to the service, such as commuting news, local news and financial information.