BIG RAPIDS – Verizon Wireless has expanded the national rollout of its high-speed wireless network to Big Rapids, including the downtown area, which includes Ferris State University campus, part of a nearly $1 billion Verizon investment in Michigan.

The expansion also covers US Route 131 between Paris and Sand Lake as well as the towns of Morley and Pierson.

Big Rapids is the latest markets to be added to Verizon Wireless? EV-DO network coverage area, now available to more than 210 million people. In Michigan, VerizonWireless? broadband network is also available in southeastern Michigan; the greater Flint area; the greater Lansing area; and West Michigan, including Grand Rapids, Holland and many surrounding communities.

The launch of the wireless broadband network (Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A)) means Verizon Wireless customers in the area can access the company?s high-speed wireless network and tap into two services:

BroadbandAccess, the company?s enhanced high-speed wireless service, with average user speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits, geared toward mobile professionals, business customers and vacationers;

V CAST, a consumer-oriented multimedia service that offers music and short content on demand, including cutting-edge 3D games, music videos, news, weather and sports.

Customers in enhanced broadband wireless coverage areas can expect average download speeds of 600 kbps to 1.4 megabits and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps, which means customers can download a 1 Megabyte email attachment?the equivalent of a small PowerPoint presentation or a large PDF file?in less than 15 seconds and upload the same-sized file in less than 25 seconds.

Customers who travel outside the enhanced BroadbandAccess coverage area with an EV-DO device will switch seamlessly to the company?s NationalAccess service.

The expansion is part of an ongoing network investment by Verizon Wireless that has totaled $40 billion nationally since the company was formed?$5 billion on average every year?to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services. More than $915 million of this investment was spent in Michigan.

For more information, click on VerizonWireless.Com

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