Verizon Wireless, a subsidiary of New York-based Verizon Communications Inc., invested $30 million in its Wisconsin digital network in 2005 to improve quality, increase its coverage areas and expand its wireless broadband network, called BroadbandAccess.
Mobile broadband connectivity is increasingly necessary for Verizon Wireless customers, according to company spokeswoman Carolyn Schamberger.
The broadband network offered by Verizon Wireless is activated by installing a P.C. card onto a personal computer and can also be accessed on a handset device, Schamberger said.
"Wireless is becoming so mainstream in our society. We have 200 million wireless users today, and that is the driver from a product and pricing standpoint," Schamberger said.
Verizon Wireless launched the BroadbandAccess service in September 2004, and Milwaukee was one of the first 13 markets to have the technology available, Schamberger said.
Verizon Wireless formed an alliance with Palo Alto, Calif.-based Hewlett-Packard Inc. to market laptops and other mobile devices with pre-installed software that can establish a connection with Verizon Wireless’ BroadbandAccess, Schamberger said.
With the pre-installed software, Verizon Wireless customers who purchase the H.P. laptop would not need a P.C. card to establish the connection, she said.
Verizon Wireless was interested in the technology because of the continued mobility of consumers and businesses, she said.
"The service is comparable to DSL (digital subscriber line), but the individual is not tied to a computer," Schamberger said. "We are a mobile society and people want to stay in touch by having access virtually wherever they go."
Verizon plans to launch more services to make the wireless phone more than just a voice device, Schamberger said. With the introduction of BroadbandAccess to the market, Verizon launched V CAST, a wireless broadband multimedia service that brings video games and music to handheld devices.
"We have invested a significant amount of resources in Wisconsin to build our network," Schamberger said. "Milwaukee specifically is an incredible competitive marketplace, and consumers can only benefit. We see a lot of opportunity for us in Milwaukee and in Wisconsin."
