Verizon Business is expanding its use of technology to help U.S. military personnel based in Iraq stay in touch with their families at home. The company, for the fifth consecutive year, is providing free calling for Iraq-based troops May 8-14 in honor of Mother's Day; June 12-18 for Father's Day; and July 2-8 for Independence Day. The calls home are made possible through a state-of-the-art Verizon Business mobile communications vehicle currently deployed in Iraq.

Face-to-Face Reunions

Verizon Business also is teaming with Cisco, Wal-Mart and the USO to provide free video connections between two bases in Iraq and two Wal-Mart stores. Verizon Business is providing the Internet protocol connections for Cisco's lifelike immersive video technology, known as Cisco TelePresence. Special Cisco TelePresence rooms are available at Wal-Mart stores located near Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Fort Drum, N.Y., between April 2 and July 6.

Cisco TelePresence replicates face-to-face interaction so realistically that it feels as if everyone is sitting in the same room. The high-quality audio and high-definition video will operate over the Verizon Business Private IP network.

Support for USO Expands

In addition, Verizon Business is joining Thursday May 8 with the USO of Metropolitan Washington for the opening of the organization's new lounge at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.The USO provides services and programs free of charge to enhance the military community's quality of life. Verizon Business is a Premier Partner of the new lounge and is also a USO-Metro Partner at the USO International Gateway Lounge at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, as well as the newly opened USO Lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport.

In addition to helping fund the lounges, Verizon Business also provides free phone calling anywhere in the world via Wi-Fi wireless phones using Verizon Business voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) service available in the USO lounges. Verizon Business also provides free dedicated Internet access at both Dulles and Reagan airports so members of the armed services can stay in touch with their loved ones via e-mail or pass time surfing the Internet.

Verizon Business is the first USO-Metro Partner to provide financial support to the USO lounges in all three Washington DC-area airports.

View a video on Verizon Business's work with the USO.

Verizon Business is the largest provider of communications services to the U.S. federal government and one of the largest providers of advanced communications and information technology services globally. The company offers local-to-global network capabilities coupled with a broad range of telecommunications products and services - including advanced Internet protocol services, managed network services and systems integration - to all levels of government. With this broad portfolio of services, Verizon Business can provide federal agencies with one-stop shopping for their communications or connectivity needs. The company has built the next-generation services that are helping to transform the way government customers - and their constituents - do business.