Verizon Wireless announced today that it has expanded the national rollout of its high-speed wireless network to portions of Holmes and Ashland counties including the towns of Millersburg, Loudonville, Nashville, Paint Valley and Walnut Creek. The expansion includes State Route 39 from Loudonville east to Walnut Creek.

"Ohio is home to many vital markets with dynamic, tech-savvy business people, students, visitors and residents who want to stay connected," said Roger Tang, president-Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia Region, Verizon Wireless. "The launch of our broadband network in Millersburg and nearby communities provides our customers with access to the very latest wireless technology." Based on Evolution-Data Optimized Revision A (EV-DO Rev. A) network technology, BroadbandAccess provides mobile workers with the ability to access their corporate information as if they were attached to this data via a high- speed wired connection but with the freedom of true mobility. Developed with a range of users in mind, the service enables large enterprises, small to medium-sized businesses and mobile professionals to conduct business anytime, anywhere in the BroadbandAccess coverage area via a secure, true high-speed data connection.

With BroadbandAccess, business customers, residents and visitors to Millersburg and nearby communities can expect average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits per second and average upload speeds of 500 kbps to 800 kbps. That means they can download a 1 megabyte email attachment-the equivalent of a small PowerPoint(R) presentation or a large PDF file-in about eight seconds and upload the same-sized file in less than 13 seconds.

BroadbandAccess also enables Verizon Wireless customers to download files approximately 10 times faster than customers of wireless service providers that use different broadly deployed network technologies. Furthermore, customers who travel outside the enhanced BroadbandAccess coverage area with an EV-DO device will switch seamlessly to the company's NationalAccess service.

"Our enhanced BroadbandAccess service gives our customers three key advantages in wireless communication-speed, mobility and security," Tang said. "With these advantages comes an increase in productivity and bottom-line business benefits."