June 12, 2012: Copper Valley Telecom's CEO, Dave Dengel, announced today that the company has signed an agreement with Verizon Wireless that will give
Copper Valley Wireless customers 4G LTE data speeds by the fall of 2013. 4G LTE (4th Generation Long Term Evolution) refers to technology
that enables users to access the Internet, apps, and other web-based tools at increased speeds.
"We are enthusiastic to get started on our 4G LTE deployment," Dengel stated. "Many of our customers use smart phones and data cards to stream movies, listen to music, play games, even run businesses. 4G LTE service will provide greater capacity and speeds for these types of applications." Dengel added that Copper Valley customers will have access to Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network throughout the United States. The agreement includes a roaming partnership between the two companies, which means that Copper Valley customers will enjoy the benefits of 4G LTE service at home and also when they travel. In addition, customers of Verizon Wireless and other participants in the LTE in Rural America program will be able to access Copper Valley's 4G LTE network in Alaska.
Under the agreement, Verizon Wireless will lease CVW 700 MHz upper C block wireless spectrum and allow interconnection with Verizon's 4G LTE network for routing traffic to the Internet. Next week, CVW and Verizon will meet to begin implementing the project plan. "Initially, we will upgrade towers in Valdez, Cordova, Tatitlek, and Prince William Sound to 4G LTE," Dengel said. "These towers will be operational by the fall of 2013, though we will strive to accelerate construction to the greatest degree possible."
The agreement is part of Verizon's LTE in Rural America program. Through this program, Verizon Wireless is working with telecommunications carriers across the nation to jumpstart the delivery of 4G LTE service to rural communities. Molly Feldman, vice president of business development, said, "Verizon Wireless is in the process today of deploying a state of the art 4G-LTE wireless network in Alaska. We are pleased to have Copper Valley join us in our mission of expanding communication opportunities throughout the state."
Verizon's 4G LTE network is the largest in the U.S. and is available to more than 200 million people.
