Verizon Wireless announced today it has purchased the wireless assets of SureWest Communications, operating as SureWest Wireless, for $69.0 million.

The purchase includes SureWest Wireless’ spectrum licenses, and network and operations assets in the greater Sacramento area. The licenses, which cover a population of 3.8 million people and overlap with areas currently served by Verizon Wireless, will expand the company’s capacity in that area.

Verizon Wireless will transition SureWest Wireless’ approximately 50,000 customers to the Verizon Wireless network by late summer, after a billing system conversion has been completed. Customers will enjoy service on the nation’s most reliable wireless network, including the company’s high-speed broadband network for accessing the Internet and e-mail, and downloading music, games and videos.

Verizon Wireless will notify customers in the coming months about new services and options that will be available to them when the transition is complete. Until that time, customers will continue on their SureWest Wireless plans.

Verizon Wireless has invested more than $45 billion since it was formed – $5.5 billion on average every year – to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services.

Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, announced the MOTO Q™ 9c will be available in the company’s online store and in Verizon Wireless business sales channels on May 9. Customers will be able to purchase the newest member of Verizon Wireless’ MOTO Q family at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, in the coming weeks.

The MOTO Q 9c is the perfect smartphone for business professionals and offers powerful capabilities, including access to more than 14 million points of interest with Verizon Wireless’ popular VZ NavigatorSM service. The phone will also offer the following features and capabilities:

• Windows Mobile® 6 Standard – access to POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts
  Documents To Go® – read, edit and create Microsoft® Word®, Excel® and PowerPoint® documents
• Full QWERTY keyboard with dedicated “hot keys” for shortcuts to popular applications
• 2.4” color screen with innovative adaptive technology to adjust for optimized brightness for indoor and outdoor lighting to maximize battery power
• 1.3 megapixel camera with flash and fixed focus, plus video capture and playback
• 128 MB of on-board memory and optional removable memory future-proofed up to 32 GB (sold separately)
• Voice-activated dialing
• Smart contacts dialing
• Speakerphone
• Stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology supporting both Bluetooth A2DP and AVRCP profiles*

Pricing
MOTO Q 9c will be available for $249.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year customer agreement. An additional $100 credit toward the purchase of the handset is available for customers who sign up for qualifying voice and data plans at the time of purchase. Verizon Wireless Nationwide E-mail plans for MOTO Q 9c begin at $79.99 for 450 anytime voice minutes and unlimited e-mail. VZ Navigator is also available for $9.99 for monthly access.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Business customers should contact their Verizon Wireless Business Sales Representative directly at 1-800-VZW-4BIZ.

* To determine the Bluetooth profiles supported by other Motorola devices, visit www.hellomoto.com/bluetooth. Certain Bluetooth features, including those listed, may not be supported by all compatible Bluetooth-enabled devices.

Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) announced that the Samsung Glyde™ will be available on May 9, 2008, online at www.verizonwireless.com and in more than 2,400 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores from coast to coast, including those in Circuit City. The Glyde is a powerful and sleek multimedia and messaging phone that boasts a robust feature-set packaged in a compact, touch-screen device with a full QWERTY keyboard.

The Glyde features a 2.8” advanced touch-screen that offers a tactile response and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that provides customers with an easy way to send text and instant messages. This multimedia device comes equipped with a full lineup of Verizon Wireless’ hottest services including V CAST Music and Video. With V CAST Music, customers have access to more than 3 million songs from well-known and independent artists that can be purchased and downloaded directly over-the-air to the Glyde. V CAST Video gives customers access to content from the best names in news, sports and entertainment.

Other features include a 2.0 megapixel camera with flash, microSD™ card slot, which supports up to 8 GB of external memory, and Bluetooth® stereo headset support.

Additional features of the Glyde include:

• HTML browser with touch navigation
• Get It Now® – download games, ringtones, wallpapers, location-based services and more
• 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder with flash and zoom:
• Brightness adjustment
• Self-time: Off, three, five or 10 seconds
• Color effects: Normal, black and white, sketch, antique, negative, green, aqua
  Multi-shot Mode: Series, divided
• Resolution Adjustment: 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 176 x 144
• VZ NavigatorSM capability – get visual and audible directions to thousands of destinations, locate businesses and other points of interest, get maps of a location, and share directions with others
• Music Player for .mp3, .wma, and unprotected .aac and .aac + files
• Bluetooth – supports headset, hands-free car kits, serial port, dial-up networking, advanced audio distribution (stereo), phone book access, object push for vCard, basic imaging for sending/printing non-protected images to a compatible device and basic print
• Text, picture and video messaging
• Instant Messaging using AIM®, MSN®, Yahoo!®
• Speakerphone
• Speed dialing
• Dimensions: 4.09” x 1.97” x .7” (standard battery)
• Weight: 4.13 ounces (with standard battery)
• Display: 240 x 440 pixel, 262K TFT, 2.8” active screen area
• Bilingual user interface: English and Spanish
• TTY/TTD-capable
• Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4
• Personal organizer with calendar, calculator, notepad, currency converter, alarm clock, world time and stop watch
• Phone book with up to 500 entries with multiple contacts
• Usage time: Up to 210 minutes with standard battery or up to 250 hours with standard battery for standby time
• 2.5 mm headset jack

The Glyde will be available for $249.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers can get the most out of their Glyde with Verizon Wireless’ Nationwide Premium calling plan. Starting at $79.99 monthly access, the Nationwide Premium calling plan includes: unlimited messaging, VZ Navigator, Mobile Email, and V CAST VPak plus unlimited megabytes for Mobile Web and Get It Now. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, customers can visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or visit www.verizonwireless.com.

Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, announced today that VZ NavigatorSM (Version 4) is now available on select consumer phones. First announced during CTIA WIRELESS 2008, the newest version of VZ Navigator allows customers in 75 cities from coast to coast to access information about traffic incidents on major roadways, obtain traffic updates and find detours around traffic congestion and accidents. More cities are expected to be added in the coming year. In addition, the new version of VZ Navigator offers a 3D perspective view of maps, a movie and events finder, weather reports and forecasts, and gas prices at nearby gas stations.

Verizon Wireless’ VZ Navigator service is a location-based service (LBS) application that utilizes location-based technology and real-time and historical information feeds. The new version of VZ Navigator offers customers the following features:
Traffic Integration – Customers in 75 cities can access routes that are calculated using both historical and real-time reported traffic information. Historical information allows customers to see on average whether the traffic is impacted by traffic lights, heavy traffic or school zones. Incident and flow information tells customers how traffic is flowing and includes details about reported accidents, disabled vehicles and congestion. VZ Navigator’s historical data covers over 750,000 miles of roads in 48 states. The traffic tracking center continually monitors conditions along the customers’ routes, sending proactive alerts to drivers about conditions ahead of them on their chosen routes. Detour options allow users to compare estimated times of arrival and conditions before selecting a new route.
Local Movies and Events – Customers can now search for show times, critics’ ratings and other details for movies, concerts, plays, sporting events, and other social events based on the physical location of their phones.
3D Perspective View – Enhances navigation by displaying maps from angles customers would see through car windshields, making it easier to visualize turn-by-turn directions.
Gas Finder – Provides customers with information on the location of gas stations close to their physical locations and even provides gas prices as reported by many gas stations in the area. Once a customer selects a station, VZ Navigator can also provide turn-by-turn directions to the selected gas station.
Weather – Provides current weather conditions and forecasts based on the physical location of the customer’s phone without manually inputting an address.

Lee Daniels, vice president of consumer product development for Verizon Wireless, said, “With the new features of VZ Navigator, Verizon Wireless customers now have a powerful navigation device that not only gives them directions but also provides the latest traffic information and more. The expanded services on VZ Navigator are another example of how we provide our customers with a great value for their wireless dollar – on the most reliable wireless network in the country.”

Pricing and Availability

VZ Navigator (Version 4) is available today for $9.99 for unlimited monthly access or $2.99 for one-day use on select Get It Now®-enabled phones in the Get Going section under Travel & Guides or Featured Apps. Airtime or megabyte charges and specific terms of use apply when browsing, downloading and using the application. Traffic integration is only available in certain areas.

Verizon Wireless customers who currently have a subscription to VZ Navigator can upgrade on select phones by simply selecting Options from the main screen of VZ Navigator then selecting Check for Updates. At launch, the following phones are able to access VZ Navigator (Version 4): G’zOne Type-V and G’zOne Type-S; Kyocera K323; The V™, enV™, enV2TM, Chocolate, Venus™, and Voyager™ by LG, LG VX5300, LG VX5400, LG VX8300, LG VX8350, LG VX8600, LG VX8700, and LG VX9400; Nokia 6205 and Nokia 2605; MOTOKRZR™ K1m, MOTORAZR™ maxx Ve, MOTORAZR2 V9m, MOTORAZR™ V3c, MOTORAZRTM V3m, MOTOSLVR L7c, MOTO™ Z6c world edition, and Motorola W385; and Alias™ by Samsung, Verizon Wireless Juke by Samsung, Samsung SCH-a930, Samsung SCH-a990, Samsung SCH-u410, Samsung SCH-u540, and Samsung SCH-u620.

For more information on VZ Navigator, visit www.verizonwireless.com/vznavigator. For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, announced today that the highly anticipated BlackBerry® Curve™ 8330 smartphone from Research In Motion (RIM) is now available through Verizon Wireless’ online store and through business sales channels. This sophisticated, silver smartphone will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, on May 12.

The BlackBerry Curve is the smallest and lightest full-QWERTY BlackBerry smartphone and is packed with rich multimedia capabilities and services, allowing customers to stay connected to work, family and friends while on-the-go. The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone also includes the following capabilities and key features:

• BlackBerry® Internet Service – access up to 10 supported POP3 and IMAP personal and corporate e-mail accounts, including most popular ISP e-mail accounts
• BlackBerry® Professional Software for small businesses and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for enterprise deployments – advanced security and IT administration within IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® environments
• VZ NavigatorSM – get visual and audible directions to a destination, locate businesses and other places in an area, get a map of a location, bookmark favorite spots and recent searches, and even share locations with others.
• Customers will be able to upgrade to the new VZ Navigator (Version 4) in the coming weeks, which will provide traffic updates, information on traffic incidents and detours around traffic congestion and accidents in 75 cities from coast to coast
• Small and light design that is easy to handle and use; measures 4.2” x 2.4” x 0.6” and weighs only 4 ounces
• Large, vibrant 320 x 240 display, with light sensing technology that automatically adjusts brightness for optimal viewing in outdoor, indoor and dark environments
  Responsive, highly-tactile full-QWERTY keyboard and RIM’s intuitive trackball navigation system
• Premium phone features including: noise cancellation technology to offset background noise; Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD); dedicated “send,” “end” and “mute” keys; and low-distortion speakerphone
• Bluetooth® 2.0, with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets (Bluetooth stereo audio profile A2DP/AVRCP), car kits and other Bluetooth accessories
• 2.0 megapixel camera with support for video recording, a self-portrait mirror, enhanced flash and 5x zoom (microSD™ memory card required for video recording, sold separately)
• Easy access to the popular Facebook® for BlackBerry® Smartphones application
• 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack and dedicated volume controls
• Advanced media player and enhanced desktop media manager software that makes it easy to move media files between a PC and the BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone via High Speed USB 2.0 – USB Data Cable comes in-box
• microSD/SDHC memory card slot, providing plenty of additional storage (cards up to 8 GB are currently available)
• HTML Web browser delivers a fast, rich browsing experience and supports streaming video from sites like m.youtube.com (3GPP RTSP streaming protocol over EV-DO)
• Removable, rechargeable battery, rated for up to 260 minutes of talk time and up to 11 days of standby time
• In-box accessories include: a stereo headset, USB cable, travel charger and premium tote sleeve

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone is available for $269.99 (updated) after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. An additional $100 credit toward the purchase of the handset is available for customers who sign up for qualifying voice and data plans at the time of purchase. Customers who purchase a Verizon Wireless Nationwide voice plan can also subscribe to the E-Mail and Web for BlackBerry plan for an additional $29.99 per month while those opting for a data-only plan can pay $34.99 per month for unlimited e-mail and access to the Internet via BlackBerry Internet Service.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Business customers should call 1-800-VZW-4BIZ or contact their Verizon Wireless Business Sales Representative.

Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, today announced the enV2™ by LG will be available on April 30 at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the nation. The new phone, revealed at CTIA WIRELESS 2008, features a sophisticated, slim redesign of the original enV by LG and will also be sold at Circuit City and online at www.verizonwireless.com.

The enV2 is the perfect handset for on-the-go texters and music and video fans. In addition to its pocket-sized good looks, the phone is available in two sleek finishes – black and maroon. The following features and capabilities are available on the enV2:

• V CAST Music – access more than three million songs from both well-known and independent artists to download over-the-air and play on the phone
• V CAST Video – download or stream video clips from the best names in news, sports and entertainment
• VZ NavigatorSM – visual and audible directions to a destination, locate businesses and other places in an area, get a map of a location, bookmark favorites and recent searches, and even share locations with others
• Mobile Web-capable – customizable, enhanced wireless access to the latest in news, sports, weather and more
• Media Center-capable – download games, ringtones, wallpapers and more
  Instant Messaging using AIM®, WL Messenger®, and Yahoo!®
• Mobile Email-capable – access to e-mail services including Yahoo! Mail, Windows Live Mail, AOL, AIM, and Verizon.net accounts; or configure POP3 and IMAP accounts
• Full QWERTY keypad with large-sized external keys
• 2.4” internal screen
• 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder:

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Verizon Wireless, the builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, and VOCEL, publisher of premium branded mobile phone applications, today announced the availability of The Pill Phone, a new Get It Now® application that provides Verizon Wireless customers with detailed drug information and automatic dosing reminders – right on their phones.

The mobile version of the best-selling medication reference guide, The Pill Book, The Pill Phone application is available exclusively through Verizon Wireless. With The Pill Phone’s Pill Lookup feature, Verizon Wireless customers have access to critical information on more than 1,800 medications and prescription drugs that are commonly prescribed by physicians, including indications, dosing, side effects, drug interactions, photos of medications, and more.

The Pill Phone also offers a Medication Reminder feature, which allows customers to schedule automatic reminders to take their doses at the appropriate times. With the Medication Reminder feature, customers can stay on their familiar medication schedule at home and even when they are traveling. The Pill Phone has received FDA 510 (k) clearance and is protected under U.S. Patent No. 7,340,503.

“The Pill Phone helps our customers leverage technology to manage their health by providing educational information and dosage reminders,” said Mark Bartolomeo, vice president of enterprise data sales for Verizon Wireless. “Our health and wellness conscious customers want to be able to access important health information and The Pill Phone can serve as a valuable resource to help them access this information while on-the-go.”

Verizon Wireless customers can purchase and download The Pill Phone from the Get Going or Tools on the Go virtual shopping aisle of the Get It Now virtual store by clicking on “Get New App” and then “Mind, Body & Soul.” The Pill Phone is currently available for a $3.99 monthly subscription on a number of popular Get It Now-capable phones, including the Chocolate and the enV by LG, the LG VX9400, the MOTORAZR™ maxx Ve, and the Alias™ by Samsung. Airtime or megabyte charges apply for sending and receiving data using Get It Now, depending on the plan. Customers need a Get It Now-enabled phone and Verizon Wireless digital service to access the Get It Now virtual store.

For more information on The Pill Phone, or to see an interactive demo, visit www.pillphone.com. For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Verizon Wireless, the owner and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, announced that the XV6900 is available from the company’s online store beginning today. It will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores including those in Circuit City on April 30.

First unveiled during CTIA WIRELESS 2008, the Verizon Wireless XV6900 is a stylish, compact and versatile touch-screen smartphone that gives busy professionals the high-speed connectivity of the Verizon Wireless broadband network. In addition to its luxurious white package, the XV6900 includes:

• EV-DO, 1XRTT-capabilities
• Touch technology allows finger and stylus input
• Virtual, all-touch QWERTY keyboard with additional input options
• Five-way ENTER/NAVIGATION button
• 2.0 megapixel camera with auto-focus, zoom and video capture
• Built-in speakerphone
• One-touch access to e-mail, text messages, calendar appointments and contacts, weather conditions and forecasts
• Equipped with Windows Mobile® 6 Professional with access to Microsoft® Office Word Mobile, Excel® Mobile, and PowerPoint® Mobile; Adobe® Reader® LE PDF viewer
• View, edit, create Word and Excel files; view only PowerPoint and PDF files;
• view, extract, create Zip files
• Web browsing with Internet Explorer® Mobile
• Windows Media® Player 10
• Instant Messenger capabilities with AIM®, MSN®, and Yahoo!®
• Bluetooth® v. 2.0 with support for stereo, hands-free, and headset profiles
• microSD™ memory card slot with support up to 8 GB
• Voice command-capable
• Security locking features
• Text, picture and video messaging
• BroadbandAccess Connect-capable
• Wireless Sync-capable
• ActiveSync® (v.4.5) and Windows Mobile Device Center®
• Support for Office Outlook Mobile and Microsoft Exchange® with Direct Push
• 256 MB ROM / 128 MB RAM
• 2.8” TFT-LCD touch-screen with LED backlight: 240 x 320 pixel; 64K color TFT
• 3.98” (l) x 2.35” (w) x 0.56” (d)
• 3.95 ounces
• Battery: 1100mAH standard, and 1880 mAH for XT Battery

Standard battery usage times:

• Usage: 210 minutes
• Standby: 250 hours
• XT battery usage times:
• Usage: 360 minutes
• Standby: 427 hours
• SAR: Head – 1.250 W/kg; Body – 0.457 W/kg

The XV6900 is available for $349.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. An additional $100 credit toward the purchase of the handset is available for customers who sign up for qualifying voice and data plans at the time of purchase.

For more information on the XV6900 and other Verizon Wireless products and services, customers may visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Business customers should call 1-800-VZW-4BIZ or contact their Verizon Wireless Business Sales Representative.