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Mar. 12, 2008

Verizon Wireless announces that it has completed a $20 million expansion and upgrade to its main network switching facility in the Tampa Bay area.

The wireless carrier says this will strengthen its network reliability and increase the communications throughput for wireless callers and data users in about thirty percent of Florida markets.

Additionally, Verizon said the upgraded 25,000-square-foot facility will improve service reliability in case of hurricanes or other emergencies.

The new data center is built to withstand a Category 5 storm and equipped with large-scale backup power generators. Verizon's new MTSO (Mobile Telephone Switching Office) will serve as the company’s regional emergency operations center.

Frank Wise, Verizon Wireless director of Florida network operations said "a strong and reliable wireless mobile network plays an important part in public safety in emergencies similar to what everybody witnessed with hurricane Katrina in 2005."

Wise added "Verizon Wireless will continue to invest in technology such as our new Tampa Bay switch to better serve our customers and continue to enhance our mobile network.”

Verizon's new MTSO in Tampa is the carrier’s largest in the U.S. in terms of cell sites supported. It also processes hundreds of millions of voice calls and data transmissions each month.

In addition to greatly enhancing general network reliability and availability, the upgraded MTSO promises to boost capacity for advanced technologies, such as Verizon Wireless V-CAST, V-CAST Mobile TV and other similar information services, which have been introduced both in Tampa and other parts of Florida.

For the past two years, overall wireless data traffic has increased over 219 percent on the Verizon digital network in Florida alone. Verizon says other states have also seen their wireless traffic rapidly increase but not as fast as Florida.

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Source: Verizon Wireless.

    This article was featured on Business 5.0.

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