Fixed Mobile Convergence

Verizon Wireless (News - Alert), one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States, has announced a grand two-week celebration over the opening of its latest Communications Store at 2151 Lemoine Avenue in Fort Lee. The two-week gala event has been packed with fun and games for families, and includes donations to a non-profit organization dedicated toward local families at risk. The newest store which features interactive retail architecture similar to Verizon's Communications Store on Route 3 in Clifton has been designed with space for customer and technical support and a full-service display area.

The multi-lingual staff at the store will assist customers in "test driving" the wide range of equipment and service options. These include: Verizon's latest offering, the touch-screen Voyager phone offering live V CAST Mobile TV and complete access to the Internet; the VZ Navigator, which delivers turn-by-turn audible directions; as well as V CAST Music which enables users to download songs directly to their phones and PCs with Microsoft (News - Alert) Windows XP.

Live radio remote broadcasts by leading radio personalities will mark the beginning of festivities on Saturday, March 1 and Saturday, March 8 with display from a Chinese calligraphy artist and artistic demonstrations of the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. The company has arranged for refreshments for the invited community on both days.

Store Manager Jamillah Jackson, along with local officials, will attend the official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, March 13. On the same day, a HopeLine donation of pre-paid wireless phones will be extended to the Bergen Family Center's Korean and Hispanic programs which help improve the lives of disadvantaged Asian and Hispanic families in the community.

The national HopeLine phone recycling program from Verizon has been established for the collection of used cell phones from different wireless carrier. Under the program, the phones are then recycled or sold for proceeds with are then donated as cash grants and pre-paid wireless handsets to supporting groups for battered women. Fort Lee Store Manager Jamillah Jackson appealed to the community to drop off their old and used phones and accessories at the new location. To date Verizon’s national HopeLine phone recycling program has raised more than $5 million in cash grants and 60,000 plus phones with airtime have been extended to organizations that work to prevent domestic violence. Locally, direct and in-kind donations raised by the HopeLine program have totalled to more than $850,000.