Verizon Wireless Unveils vtext.com Short Text Messaging Web Site; Sending and Receiving Text Messages Made Easy and Fun

Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless service provider, today announced www.vtext.com -- a new, simple-to-use short text messaging Web site that makes it a snap to send text messages to individuals and groups and lets customers set up cool and useful information alerts.

Available with all digital phones and calling plans, vtext.com works with Verizon Wireless' popular Mobile Messenger(SM) text messaging service. When sending a message to a wireless phone, vtext.com allows the sender to confirm delivery that the message was received by the phone and provides a date and time stamp. Additionally, 2-way messaging capable phones can reply back to the vtext.com Web site creating an interactive chat session. Customers can also create their own easy-to-remember 2-way text messaging wireless nickname- 'YourNickname'@vtext.com, making it simple to chat with email users. vtext.com enables Verizon Wireless to continue its strong relationship with TeleCommunication Systems (Nasdaq: TSYS), which provides the messaging technology that powers this new, exciting service.

vtext.com offers access to alerts from popular publishers provided through its partnership with ScreamingMedia (Nasdaq: SCRM). These publishers include financial information from Red Herring and NYSE; sports news; national and international headline news; entertainment and celebrity gossip; weather and more. Plus, users can access a personal calendar page to input birthdays, anniversaries and other important dates to be sent as text message reminders to their wireless phone.

"We're excited to introduce vtext.com to our new and existing Mobile Messenger(SM) customers so they can see how easy and beneficial it is," said Gary Schulman, Verizon Wireless' president of wireless data and Internet services. "Verizon Wireless is committed to the continual expansion of information alert providers for vtext.com."

As a promotion for the launch of vtext.com, from November 13, 2001 through January 31, 2002, new users who activate a monthly digital price plan of $35 or higher receive unlimited text messaging and Internet alerts through February 2002. After the promotional period customers can pay as they go for $0.02 to receive and $0.10 to send messages or select bundled plans for $2.99 per month for 100 messages, $3.99 per month for 200 messages and $7.99 per month for 600 messages sent or received.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the U.S. with more than 28.7 million wireless voice and data customers. The coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE: VOD; LSE), including Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, GTE Wireless and PrimeCo Personal Communications. Verizon Wireless has a footprint covering more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 97 of the top 100 U.S. markets. The company, headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, is 40,000 employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company on the Web at http://www.verizonwireless.com.

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