Verizon Plans EV-DO Launches

NEW ORLEANS -- Verizon Wireless and Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) today announced plans to launch a super-fast mobile data network in Washington, D.C. that will provide businesses and consumers with data services at speeds of up to 2.4 Megabits per second (Mbps) -- comparable to the fastest wireline connections. As part of the Verizon Wireless Express Network, this third-generation (3G) CDMA2000 1xEV-DO network will be available to customers in the Washington, D.C. area this summer.

The planned launch of this network follows a successful trial of 1xEV-DO technology completed by the two companies in November 2002 that revealed businesses and consumers in the D.C. area can expect average data speeds of 300-800 kilobits per second using the 1xEV- DO network supplied by Lucent. This enables Verizon Wireless to provide businesses with secure access to corporate applications stored behind corporate firewalls, and consumers with high-speed Internet access from any location.

"We are pleased to be working with Lucent to offer enterprise customers in D.C. access to wireless data at speeds comparable to most landline connections," said Dick Lynch, executive vice president and chief technical officer for Verizon Wireless. "1xEV- DO provides ideal speeds for a host of applications including remote access to corporate VPNs, intranets, email and large file transfers."

To deploy the commercial 1xEV-DO network in Verizon Wireless' 1900 MHz/PCS spectrum, Lucent will upgrade additional Flexent(R) CDMA base stations with channel cards and software and provide Flexent(R) Modular Cell 4.0 base stations to further expand the network's footprint. Lucent also is providing its Flexent(R) Mobility Server to provide an open IP interface to the data network. Lucent Worldwide Services will provide installation and integration services.

Verizon Wireless and Lucent also have deployed 1xEV-DO technology in Verizon Wireless' commercial network in New Orleans to support demonstrations of 1xEV-DO that are being conducted this week at the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) Wireless 2003 show, taking place March 17-19 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. In Lucent's booth (number 2645) at CTIA, advanced services such as e-mail and streaming video are being showcased on laptops and PDAs equipped with 1xEV-DO wireless modem cards at speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps.

In a separate release:

Verizon Wireless, operator of the nation's largest wireless network, and Nortel Networks (NYSE:NT - News; TSX:NT - News) today announced that Verizon Wireless plans to launch a commercial CDMA2000 1xEV-DO (1X evolution-data optimized) wireless network in San Diego beginning in summer 2003 based on solutions from Nortel Networks (NYSE:NT - News; TSX:NT - News).

The two companies completed both technical and 'friendly user' 1xEV-DO trials in San Diego earlier this year. During these trials, wireless handsets and terminals were used to perform wireless data applications - including video streaming, wireless gaming, location-based services, instant messaging and e-mail with attachments - at data transmission speeds up to 2.4 megabits per second (Mbps) - approximately 16 times faster than CDMA2000 1X networks.

The San Diego 1xEV-DO network, powered exclusively by Nortel Networks Univity CDMA core and access technology, will position San Diego businesses and consumers to experience high-speed wireless data for rich applications like remote access to corporate Intranets and databases, corporate e-mail with attachments, large file transfers, video and audio streaming, and other multimedia services.

CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is a third generation (3G) wireless packet data system designed to support data rates up to 2.4 megabits per second. The high speeds offered by CDMA2000 1xEV-DO are expected to greatly enhance the subscriber experience, and to deliver speedier access to corporate intranets. The technology is designed to allow operators to increase wireless data network capacity - potentially up to six times - and to provide enhanced, 3G wireless data services.

"We are pleased to work with Nortel Networks to introduce 1xEV-DO in San Diego," said Dick Lynch, executive vice president and chief technical officer, Verizon Wireless. "With 1xEV-DO technology, we can improve network efficiencies, decrease deployment costs, and be better positioned to offer a faster, more robust wireless data experience for the enterprise."

Verizon Wireless

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Nortel Networks Corp.