Verizon Wireless Deploys Its Own COLTs In Miami

Verizon Wireless is making sure that attendees at Super Bowl XLI won't have to miss a second of the action to ask, "Can you hear me now?" Verizon has deployed two Cells on Light Trucks (COLTs) outside Dolphin Stadium to boost wireless coverage for the anticipated spike in cell phone calls that will occur on Sunday.

The company reported that during last year's Super Bowl game in Detroit, traffic on Verizon Wireless's network in and around Ford Field increased 500% compared to average network traffic during a regular NFL season game. At the height of Sunday's game, Verizon Wireless expects millions of successful connections per hour on its Florida digital network.

In addition, Verizon Wireless has invested $205 million in 2006 to fine-tune its network sites and add capacity throughout South Florida in advance of the Super Bowl. The company's total network investments in Florida are $1.5 billion and more than $35 billion nationally over the past seven years.

The COLTs traditionally have been used to assist emergency workers during natural disasters like hurricanes. This is the first time Verizon has deployed them for the Super Bowl, and the first time they have been used in Florida.

Each COLT features a 75-foot telescoping antenna, nine dedicated voice channels and two high-speed data channels that can handle hundreds of phone calls and data transmissions simultaneously.

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