Dan_VZ's Posts

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Each month, a new set of trivia questions will be posted on the Activities board, found under Level Up in the Community navigation.  The trivia game will consist of two trivia questions and two word scrambles.  All of these will be related to Verizon products and services or telecommunications in general. The first person to correctly reply to the post with the correct answers will be crowned the Trivia Champ! Trivia Champs receive recognition on the Community home page Member Leaderboard for the month until a new champion is named.  They will also be recognized on our Activities board with their name featured on that month’s Trivia Champ post. There are a few important things to remember: Although we always encourage chatting and helping each other on the Community, the Trivia Champ posts are the only exception!  No side conversations allowed, just a race to see who can answer correctly first! You are only allowed to submit ONE set of answers, so check your work carefully! As mentioned above, the trivia questions will be related to Verizon or the services we provide in some way.  Make sure you keep that in mind, especially with the word scrambles - they can get tricky!   Our August Trivia Game is still open!  Head over there to see if you have what it takes to be crowned the Trivia Champ and be on the lookout for a new game every month.  For more information, check out the Trivia Rules.

As back-to-school time approaches, this week we are taking a look at devices that can help young students enhance their learning experience and continue education at home.  Check out these devices and tell us how you’re using wireless technology for your family in the comments below!   Gizmo Watch 3 The Gizmo Watch 3 is a fantastic starter device for young children that not only helps you stay in touch with them with calling and messaging, but also has timers and alarms to help your child stay on track with homework and household chores.  The Gizmo Watch 3 helps introduce children to wireless technology safely by not allowing any outside apps to be installed.  The GizmoHub app, which you can install on your smartphone, helps to manage usage.  For families with multiple children, there is now a promotion where you can get a second Gizmo Watch 3 for only $100!   Tablets Tablets such as the iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab use natural gestures for interaction and control, which makes them accessible for young users.  Both of these tablets have built-in parental controls for you to configure to keep your child safe online.   Smart Speakers For everything from helping students work their way through math problems to promoting a set structure and study reminders, smart speakers are an under-utilized tool for young learners.  Smart speakers are engaging while not adding to a child’s screen time allowing them to ask questions instead of using a search anding and apps for stories and podcasts while winding down for bedtime.  They can even assist with learning a new language!  Consider changing the activation word periodically to help control usage - the JBL Link Music Compact Smart Speaker can achieve this using Google Assistant Which devices are you using in your household and how are you tailoring them for an educational experience?  We’d love to hear from you in the comments! Article originally posted on Verizon News Center: A parent's guide for back-to-school tech for kids

First name: Lucas Community username: @Cang_Household  Member since: 2020 Occupation: Formally trained as a biochemist. Currently serving as a de facto information system engineer for a biomedical research lab. Pipeline builder for a multimillion dollar project. What Verizon products and services do you use? Fios Internet 500/500, Fios Digital Voice (+free international calling), VZW Basic Plan (? hard to find the formal name in the account page). Products: iPhone SE (2020, VZW), G1100 (Quantum Gateway Router), G3100 (Fios Router), CR1000A (Verizon Router), E3200 (Fios Extender), MoCA Ethernet Adapter, Fios Network Adapter, Nokia ONT What are your areas of expertise?  General computer networking, strongswan IPsec VPN, iptables, Linux system engineering, full stack engineering (programming web pages) I like playing with cheap single-board computers, like Raspberry Pi. Because of the shortage of Raspberry Pi, I migrated to Banana Pi router boards with more Ethernet ports so I could explore networking technologies. I built a VPN router from Alpine Linux hosted as a VM on my laptop at my college dorm, so I could extend my parent's home's network to my dorm to check on the house when they are away. I am an advocate for open source. I would prefer to use Linux operating system whenever I can. I like to explore embedded networking technologies like distributed switching architecture (DSA for short). It allows a 4-port switch chip to be split up to 4 independent logical network cards by adding software tags on frames. So cool. I like to keep things light weight, so I could accomplish more on the existing slower speed hardware than to buy new hardware. I self-taught web development in middle school, in an effort to amend an online code submission portal used by the programming class. We learned Pascal (yes, they were still teaching Pascal in 2014) to solve problems on the book, rather than in the daily life. While learning web development, I began to deal with TCP sockets and ports and ultimately firewalls. This is when I became interested in computer networking. In high school, I joined a club who runs the school's official website. The students handled all the logistics in coding. The school district "cracked us down" after we mistakenly and prematurely announced the following day as a snow day, creating confusion among the 10 schools in the district. We still had the following day as the snow day because the weather played to our favor. After the club was disbanded, I became disheartened towards building major projects like a website, so I started exploring more transient projects in networking. The school bought several large TVs at the time but lacked a centralized solution for broadcasting videos. So I located the floor plan and "colluded" with younger IT guys in the school to locate all the wiring closets and open switch ports. I came up with a plan that used IP multicasting to send video streams to TVs across the school. To learn how multicast works, I found some Cisco CCIE courses and self-taught a great deal of networking concepts. The assistant principal in technology green-lit my plan, but was put on indefinite pause once COVID hit. Fast forward to college. I majored in biochemistry and still solved computer science problems when not studying or sleeping. I joined a research lab in a major health system to deliver solutions on clinical decision making and basic science research, currently trying to find ways to let machines take over the repetitive and tedious tasks. Recently, the lab was awarded a multimillion dollar grant to study human anatomy. We purchased computers and servers to assist the analysis, so the assembly, configuration, and networking connectivity automatically fell on my shoulders. When not thinking about the computers, I am thinking about the science side of the project, such as the naming for human anatomical parts and fluorescent markers for recognizing certain types of tissues. Other colleagues in the lab develop algorithms for detecting lung opacity on the CT scans and making sense of key diagnoses from electronic health records. I find that, to really understand what the clinicians want in terms of technology, someone needs to be an expert of both. I already have the background in computer technology, so let me be an expert in clinical diagnostics. To this end, I am preparing for the MCAT exam as part of the medical school applications. What are your other hobbies? Building and programming my own router, building home security system. reading building/wiring schematics. research local codes and federal laws. communicating with attorneys. Sports - tennis, swimming. Gardening - growing hot peppers and watermelon.

Community badges have always been a great way to show off your knowledge and participation in the Verizon Community.  This week, we introduced new progression levels for most of our badges, giving our most dedicated members the opportunity to continue leveling up and showing what they’re made of.  We’ve also refreshed our badge designs, offering fun and colorful ways to show off your achievements!   What are Community badges? Community badges are awarded to your account after you reach a milestone in your Community activity.  These can be as simple as our Avid Returner badge, which is awarded for coming back to the Community and logging into your account.  There are also badges that will be awarded to our most active, helpful users like Solutions, which is awarded for authoring replies to other users’ questions and having that reply marked as a solution.   What are badge levels? Each badge has 6 levels of progression to complete.  For example, after you author your first solution, you will be awarded the Solutions I badge.  As you continue, you can work your way all the way up to Solutions VI by authoring 100 solutions!   Where can I see which badges I have earned? Once you’re logged in, you can see a preview of your badges earned on the Community Dashboard on your home page.  Click “Show all” to expand and browse every badge that you’ve earned.  Badges that are grayed out have not yet been earned yet, but they give something to strive for!   What new badges are in the works? We want to hear from YOU!  Check out our badges below and leave a comment with any and all ideas you have for badges that you would like to see join the lineup!

  As promised, Verizon’s +play has expanded its offerings, now totaling over 35 subscription partners!  +play  gives any Verizon customer an easy way to subscribe to and manage their subscriptions so they are taken care of all in one place Check out the new services joining the +play roster: DOGTV: Streaming isn’t just for humans anymore!  Keep your four-legged friend entertained with content offerings for everything from play time to nap time. Edye: The first ever Spanish-language premium streaming service for children’s content. Vooks: Level up your children’s story time!  Vooks is the world’s first streaming platform that uses animation, read-aloud narration, read-along highlighted text and engaging sounds to bring storybooks to life.   Also, have exclusive access to these savings for a limited time: Get one year of Netflix Premium for free (a $240 value) with the purchase of a one-year STARZ subscription. DOGTV: 50% off for 6 months Blue Apron: Free 6-month trial The Washington Post: 3 months, on us   Check out all that the +play program has to offer and get started today! Article originally posted on Verizon news Center: https://www.verizon.com/about/news/myplan-exclusive-verizon-customers

  In a social media landscape that’s often focused on filters and influencers, BeReal is a new app that is growing in popularity (over 100 million downloads) which takes a different approach.  Once per day, the user is prompted to take a photo with both their regular camera and front-facing “selfie” lens simultaneously.  That is shared with any of their friends on the app.  For the most part, that’s all there is to it.  There’s no pull to post multiple times per day - in fact, it’s simply not possible.  The goal is to capture ordinary moments, whether it be working at a laptop or drinking a cup of coffee. BeReal is mostly a self-contained experience.  Users can view a news feed with their friends’ posts, but only those that they have friended within the app and nobody else besides those friends can see your posts either.  Keeping this circle limited can be a great way to introduce kids to the world of social media.  There is the ability to share your BeReal posts to other social platforms, but not the other way around, keeping BeReal, well… real.  Bea Moise, a cognitive specialist and digital parenting coach says “Starting them small and letting their world expand makes the most sense instead of giving them access to everything at once.” For parents, there are a few things to be aware of for children using the platform.  According to the BeReal terms of use, it is for users 13 and older.  Users can report inappropriate posts and can block profiles of other users from showing up under suggested friends.  Also location sharing is optional, but luckily it is turned off by default.  Discuss appropriate use of the location feature with your teens to keep them using the app safely. Not sure if BeReal is right for your teens?  Try it yourself! Article originally posted on Verizon News Center: A parent's guide to BeReal

With the summer season upon us, make sure you’re prepared for any and all adventures with the perfect case for your smartphone!  In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at a few options for protecting your device and making sure that you can stay connected with a smartphone free of damage.   Otterbox Defender The tried and true rugged classic, the Otterbox Defender is a multi-layer case that can protect your phone from all kinds of drops, scrapes, bumps and dirt.  The integrated screen protector keeps your screen free of cracks and there are dust covers to keep your charging ports clear.  What’s more, this case is magsafe and wireless charging compatible and even has an antimicrobial surface to prevent bacteria growth on the case.  The Otterbox Defender is available for iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices so no matter your device of choice, we have you covered! Shop Otterbox cases   Otterbox Symmetry Looking for Otterbox protection without the bulkiness of a super rugged case?  Otterbox once again has your back.  The Otterbox Symmetry case is a one-piece case that provides protection with a slim profile, allowing your phone to still fit in your pocket easily.  There are raised edges to keep your screen safe and it has the same antimicrobial surface as its big brother.  The slim design also leaves you with easy access to your device’s ports and speakers. Shop Otterbox cases   Verizon Slim Sustainable The Slim Sustainable Case from Verizon is another low-profile option that is eco-friendly and made with up to 85% recycled plastic.  It is Magsafe compatible and has a smudge-resistant surface to keep your device looking its best!  This case is also available for iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices and there is a rugged model available.  Check them all out at the link below! Shop Verizon cases

Hurricane season is on the horizon and Verizon will be ready to swoop in at a moment’s notice to ensure that it is ready to assist with rapid recovery efforts to its critical communications infrastructure.  Verizon’s extreme network is built to withstand longer power outages which includes generator or battery back-up for every one of its macro sell sites and switch facilities.  Fuel deliveries are pre-arranged in the case of a storm for quick response in the event that commercial power is lost. In Florida, sites are equipped with hardened “Super Switches” that are built to withstand hurricane winds, even if it reaches Category 5.  These locations also have multiple entrances for fiber transport, which means that there is additional redundancy in the event that the weather conditions damage one entrance. Verizon is prepared for a quick response to engage in emergency network recovery in the event that a hurricane makes landfall.  Not only does Verizon have a fleet of 550 portable assets, it has fully functional cell sites which are powered by generators which are used to replace or supplement both network coverage and capacity.  Furthermore, there are 200 satellite-based portable network assets which can be used to connect cell sites to the network in case there is damage to the fiber. “Our network is built with industry leading resiliency and reliability. The work we do before the extreme weather moves in is critical in minimizing its impact and speeding the recovery work after the weather has passed,” said Joe Russo, Verizon’s EVP and President, Global Networks and Technology. “We have invested heavily and trained relentlessly to be ready for rapid-recovery scenarios because we know how critical communications services are.” Verizon is also committed to first responders with its Verizon Frontline Crisis Response team which is ready to assist public safety agencies on the front lines to ensure that they have mission-critical communications.  This team is solely dedicated to supporting public safety and is composed primarily of former first responders and military personnel. To learn more about the fleet of assets and mobile workstations, head to the link below! Article originally posted on Verizon News Center: https://www.verizon.com/about/news/hurricane-season-verizon-readies-fleet

myPlan , Verizon’s most flexible wireless plan, is now available! We’ve put an end to the “one size fits all” approach to mobile plans and now provide a customizable plan that allows you to pay for only what you use and nothing more. You can also change your myPlan at any time to make sure you’re always using the perks that are right for you The first step is to choose your Unlimited network option. Unlimited Welcome offers Verizon’s fast and reliable 5G network. Our premium option, Unlimited Plus, offers 5G Ultra Wideband, 30GB of data to use your device as a mobile hotspot, and 50% off a plan for a smart watch, tablet, hotspot or Hum device. Once you have chosen a network option, it’s time to get into the fun part: the perks!  Every single one is only $10/mo and they each provide savings and convenience to connect you with services that you use every day.  There will also be new perks added! Here are some examples of perks which are offered at launch: Disney Bundle - Subscriptions for hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+, a savings of $4.99/mo 100GB Mobile Hotspot - For our heavy hotspot users, we have you covered!  A savings of $35/mo! Apple One - With Apple One, you have access to Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade and iCloud, a savings of $6.95/mo. 3 TravelPass Days - For our jetsetters, travel worry free with a savings of $20/mo. You can also start with Verizon’s most popular plans and customize from there.  Think of it as a plan template that you can hone to fit yours and your family’s needs! For example, a plan that pairs Unlimited Welcome with a membership for Walmart+, which also includes a subscription to Paramount+.   myPlan starts at just $30/mo with an autopay discount.  Learn more about myPlan and get started customizing yours today! Article originally published on Verizon News Center: https://www.verizon.com/about/news/myplan

Private messaging is a great way to talk privately with other community members or Verizon representatives.  If your question is one that would require sensitive account information that is against the Verizon Community Terms of Service, you may be asked to send a private message to a Verizon representative to help you reach a resolution.  You can also use this feature to reach out to a Community admin if you have any questions or feedback! To send a private message, click on the username of the user you want to message and click “Send message.”  You will also find the same link on a user’s profile page. This will start a new private message with the account you selected as the recipient.  From here, all you need to do is compose your message and hit “Send Message.” You can also send a private message by navigating to your inbox in the top-right corner of your screen.  This is also where you’ll find any replies or new messages coming your way! From here, click on the Compose button to start drafting a new private message. Once you’re done, hit “Send Message.” That’s all there is to it!  If you have any questions about our private messaging feature, please leave a comment below.

Verizon Innovative Learning, the company’s signature education initiative focused on driving digital equity and inclusion through a suite of programs and resources, is continuing to partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and community colleges for the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program. Led by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program is a free, project-based immersive STEM program open to middle school students. The program is held in partnership with, and on the campuses of, 45 HBCUs, HSIs and community colleges across the country. Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers aims to empower middle school students in under-resourced communities to explore STEM subjects, learn problem-solving skills and gain exposure to career opportunities in technology fields. The program’s interactive curriculum, developed by Verizon in partnership with Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, centers around four educational tracks: immersive media, smart solutions, digital product innovations and artificial intelligence. Participating students receive mentorship, access to next-gen technology - such as 3D printing, augmented reality (AR) and robotics, and hands-on training connected to real-world challenges that help teach design thinking and social entrepreneurship. "Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers has impacted thousands of students with hands-on learning, mentorship, and career exposure on college campuses nationwide," said Alex Servello, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Verizon. "We are excited to continue our partnership with NACCE and provide middle school students with a free opportunity to engage with emerging technologies and foster skills necessary for success in today's digital world." The program is welcoming six new college locations for 2023, which include: Cleveland State University; Cleveland, OH Houston Christian University; Houston, TX Mercy College; Westchester County, New York University of Uniformed Services; Bethesda, MD Salt Lake Community College; Salt Lake City, UT Lincoln University; Philadelphia, PA Free registration is now open for parents to sign up their rising 6th - 8th grade students for the summer sessions being offered in-person. The Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program also consists of one in-person full-day workshop, both in the fall and spring, onsite at the partner college. To sign up for Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers, please visit here. Next-gen learning for all Teachers and students can also leverage Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, an award-winning, free education portal that makes next-gen learning tools, including a curated collection of lesson plans, available to all. Through Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, K-12 educators nationwide gain free access to over 275 lesson plans with 20 corresponding augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) apps. The education portal also provides educators with extensive training and resources, including over 40 professional development courses. Educators can visit Verizon.com/Learning to sign up. Citizen Verizon: Goal to 10 million youths with digital skills training These efforts are all part of Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental, and social advancement. Citizen Verizon empowers Verizon to deliver on its mission to move the world forward through action by expanding digital access and resources, protecting the climate, and ensuring people have the skills needed for jobs of the future. Through Citizen Verizon, and the key pillar of Digital Inclusion, the company's responsible business goals include providing 10 million youths with digital skills training by 2030. To learn more about Verizon's digital inclusion efforts, visit CitizenVerizon.com. Article originally posted on Verizon News Center:  Verizon continues to partner with HBCUs, HSIs and community colleges to bring STEM learning to youth

Verizon Smart Family is a service that allows you to track your child or other family members’ locations, set up content filters, monitor web browsing and more!  Verizon Smart Family is a paid service with two tiers: Smart Family and Smart Family Premium.  Let’s take a deeper dive to learn what Smart Family can provide for your family! Content Filters - Keep your children protected from objectionable content, malware and more with different filters to ensure that you’re only blocking what you need to and nothing more.  You can even add trusted websites that bypass these filters. Monitor Web & Apps - See a breakdown of your child’s web activity by categories including Social Media, Games and Entertainment.  Note: The child’s phone will receive a text message to notify them that this is being monitored. Pause Internet - Turn off web browsing on your child’s device to block access during any time such as school or homework hours. Trusted Contacts Only - Limit who your child’s device is able to contact.  You are able to set up blocked contacts or trusted contacts that bypass any filters you’ve set up so you can always be sure that you’re able to contact your child. Noteworthy Events - Receive notifications if your child was accessing the internet during any time you choose (such as the middle of the night) and get alerted to suspicious app or website visits. Location Tracking* - You’ll always know where they are and you can set up alerts to notify you when they leave or arrive at a certain location. Pick Me Up* - One button is all it takes for your child to request a ride home!  You will receive a notification when this happens, complete with their location. Driving Insights* - Check in on where and how your kids are driving, complete with speed information and crash detection so you can be sure to be notified immediately in case of an emergency. *Smart Family Premium only   The best part is that you can pick and choose which of these services you are using at any given time!  It’s not limited to  kids either - my family of adults uses Verizon Smart Family to know each other’s locations, but we do not use any of the content filtering.  This means you can configure Smart Family to work for your needs! Try Verizon Smart Family Premium for FREE for 30 days!  After that, the basic subscription is $4.99/mo with Smart Family Premium at $9.99/mo.

Verizon today announced that Snapchat+, Snap, Inc.’s premium subscription service, will be available on +play  – along with an exclusive offer for three months of access, on us. +play is the first-of-its-kind subscription hub from Verizon to shop for, manage and save on your favorite content subscriptions. The announcement was made today during Snap’s annual Partner Summit; Snapchat+ and the three-month offer will be available on +play starting next month. What it is: Snapchat+, launched last year, offers subscribers access to early, exclusive and experimental features. Snapchat+ is the first partner of its kind available on +play, joining more than 30 other partners across streaming, entertainment, lifestyle and education services. Why it’s important: Adding Snapchat+ to +play gives Verizon customers more choice for subscription services available on the platform. Plus, can get access to early, exclusive, and experimental features with Snapchat+, and they can take advantage of an exclusive offer when they subscribe through +play. Who it’s for: Verizon customers who are ready to take their Snap experience to a new level. +play is available to all Verizon mobile, 5G Home and LTE Home Internet customers who want exciting content from entertainment, lifestyle, gaming and more – all in one place and only on Verizon. What executives are saying: Erin McPherson, chief content officer of Verizon Consumer Group: “By adding Snap+ to +play, we’re demonstrating an even wider breadth of partners available to Verizon customers while also giving them a service unlike any others previously available. Already, 3 million Snapchatters are customizing their content through the exclusive features available through Snapchat+. We hope Verizon customers take advantage of the exclusive promo we have for Snapchat+ through +play to get creative with all the exciting features the platform has to offer.” More to come: +play continues to evolve with new functionalities, as well as adding new services across entertainment, gaming and lifestyle – as well as even more exclusive offers on select services for a wider Verizon customer base. Learn more by visiting verizon.com/plusplay.   Article originally posted on Verizon News Center:  Verizon adds Snapchat+ to +play, now with more than 30 services available

Spring is finally here!  As the nice weather arrives, Verizon has you covered with accessories to make sure you both have as much fun as possible outside, or make things more convenient in the home.  Check out our hottest accessories for Spring!   mophie powerstation wireless XL Never forget the first rule about traveling with your phone: You can’t use it if it doesn’t have power! Keep your devices charged while on the go with the powerstation wireless XL! This lightweight portable powerstation is compact and convenient. It easily fits into a pocket or bag for easy on the go charging, perfect for a hike or any other time you need to stay connected. Charge multiple devices with the wireless charging surface for Qi-enabled devices as well as the versatile USB-C and USB-A charging ports. The powerstation wireless XL holds up to 2.1 full phone charges so you can stay moving without worrying about your phone losing it's charge. Bonus: if you have a MagSafe compatible device, charge in a snap with the Belkin BOOST UP CHARGE Magnetic Portable Wireless Charger 10K.   JBL Flip 6 Portable Waterproof Speaker The bold new JBL Flip 6 Portable Waterproof Speaker delivers powerful JBL Original Pro Sound with exceptional clarity thanks to its 2-way speaker system. This big-sounding, yet easy to carry speaker is IP67 waterproof and dustproof, so you can take it anywhere in any weather and it’s beach and pool-ready for when the summer comes! With 12 hours of battery life, you can party 'til the sun goes down or comes up wherever the music moves you. Bonus: If you’re looking for a smaller, more portable speaker that can easily clip to a bag or even a belt loop, check out the JBL Clip 4!  Perfect for hiking!   Google Nest Thermostat As the warmer weather comes, you need your house to stay cool!  Meet the Google Nest Thermostat!  You can control it from anywhere with a network connection with the Google Home app whether you're on an errand or on vacation. You can even change the temperature without getting off the couch or out of bed!  Save energy while you’re away from home and make sure it’s nice and cool when you get back! It will even integrate with your Google Home so you can just say “Hey Google, turn on the A/C!” Bonus: For a thermostat that’s compatible with Amazon Alexa, check out the Amazon Smart Thermostat!

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Verizon Public Sector today announced a 15-year critical infrastructure contract with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) worth over $2 billion to design, build, operate and maintain the FAA’s next-generation communications platform. Under the terms of the Federal Aviation Administration Enterprise Network Services (FENS) contract, Verizon will build the FAA a dynamic, highly available and secure enterprise network to support all of the agency's mission critical applications across the National Airspace System (NAS), which includes providing Air Traffic Management (ATM) to more than 45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers traveling across the more than 29 million square miles that make up the U.S. national airspace system. “This is an incredible opportunity for Verizon to lead the nation’s largest government transportation agency through a telecommunications infrastructure transformation that utilizes the latest advances in technology and networking solutions,” said Kyle Malady, Verizon Business CEO. “From dynamic services and bandwidth provisioning, to improved insight and visibility into network service configuration and operation, we are excited to help the FAA with a robust solution that will benefit the National Airspace System and administrative users alike.” Malady added: “With our team of recognized, proven partners, Verizon has expanded our core competencies, enabling us to meet the evolving needs of the NAS and the FENS contract requirements.” Erik Smith, President and CEO of Saab in the U.S. said, “We are thrilled to be teamed with Verizon on this project. Nobody is better prepared to provide a secure and reliable network of this scale. With Saab’s FAA, air traffic management, and system wide information management (SWIM) experience, our team is ready to help the FAA evolve toward their information-centric operations vision” “Frequentis is proud to partner with Verizon on the FENS program with our high-availability network equipment. We are looking forward to supporting Verizon’s FENS team in its evolution of the FAA’s network infrastructure,” said Dieter Eier, President of Frequentis USA. Verizon's network solution is designed for the future with an array of new capabilities to meet the next generation of applications with greater bandwidth requirements. The communications infrastructure supports air and ground safety for passenger, freight and selected Department of Defense flights via three separate networks, one for NAS, one for administrative and one for research and development. FENS is the successor to the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) contract, which was implemented in 2002 to provide consolidated telecom services for the 5,000 facilities and 30,000 circuits in the NAS. By extension, FENS will serve as the primary means for FAA's telecommunications services and forms the basic infrastructure for the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen. Additionally, the new enterprise platform managed by Verizon will provide the FAA with features such as dynamic service provisioning and reconfiguration, survivability, on-demand Service Flow routing to deliver higher security, faster performance and a flexible, more seamless user experience. Verizon also will provide an extensive set of support services including program management, network engineering, configuration management, test and evaluation (T&E), service ordering and provisioning, network and security management and operations. Article originally posted on Verizon News Center:  Verizon Public Sector wins Federal Aviation Administration FENS contract

First name: Paul  Community username: @dexman  Member since: 2013 Occupation: Since graduating college in 1989, I have worked as a Central Office technician for Allnet Communication Services, Frontier Communications, Global Crossing and Level (3) up until 2013. I later served as a caregiver for my mom as well as keeping on top of things that need to be tended to at my mom's estate. I am now the acting building manager at the church that I have attended for most of my life. What Verizon products and services do you use? Here at home, I use all three available Fios services aka "Triple Play".  I use Verizon Wireless for my mobile phone service. My church has Verizon POTS lines along with Comcast Internet. Once Verizon finishes bringing Fios to the building, everything will migrate over to fiber. What are your areas of expertise?  Areas of expertise include the DSC/Alcatel DEX 400, 600 & 600E, Titan 532, 532L & 5500 and Newbridge 3624 channelbanks and other aspects of legacy telecommunications. A D4 channel bank was used to convert a digital T1 circuit to up to 24 individual POTS lines that could then be connected to a Key System that did not have the necessary hardware to directly interface with a T1 circuit. You could also connect up to 24 single line telephones to a channel bank (which was often done in call center/telemarketer settings. In LATA 128, Verizon's T1 circuits would be identified like this: "95/HCGS/xxxxxx/NE". What are your other hobbies?  Hobbies include working with pro-audio gear, playing keyboards/pipe organs working on (2) Avaya Partner ACSs & (1) Avaya Merlin Magix. I've been known to post pictures of extremely messy outside coaxial cabling that I come across during my occasional walks. Musically, I like listening to what would be considered "classic rock". Meatloaf and Journey for example. Throw in some Disco from the late 70's/early 80's. But mostly, I've switched my listening to Contemporary Christian artists such as Matthew West, David Meece, Stephen Curtis Chapman and others.  My hobbies also include Pro Audio playing the church's pipe organ and "staying out of trouble whenever possible". 😄

Residents and businesses in four Northeast cities are getting more options to keep them connected. Today, as part of one of the biggest network upgrades in our history, Verizon, is bringing new wireless home and business internet options that utilize 5G Ultra Wideband to residents and businesses in Newark and Trenton, NJ, Syracuse, NY and Wilkes-Barre, PA. Verizon Home Internet is reliable and provides speeds fast enough to power all the connected devices in the home: smart TVs, tablets, laptops, phones, gaming consoles and more. There are no annual contracts or hidden fees. Plans start at just $25 per month with AutoPay and a select 5G mobile plan1 – an average annual savings of over $450 compared to Xfinity's and Spectrum's advertised, entry-level cable internet plans & one standard mobile line. Plus, with our price guarantee you don't have to worry about surprise price hikes. The price is guaranteed for two or three years, depending on your plan. Our 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee makes switching easy. If for any reason you’re unhappy, cancel within 30 days and receive a refund of the service charge. We’ll also help cover the cost to switch with up to a $500 credit towards early termination fees2. Not a current Verizon customer? You can still get 5G Home Internet for just $50 per month with Auto Pay3. “Residents and businesses in the Northeast have enjoyed the reliability and fast speeds of our Fios services, and now we’re excited to bring our 5G Home and 5G Business Internet services to more people in the area,” said Chris Flood, North East Consumer Vice President at Verizon. “This expansion will also provide our customers the opportunity to save on their home internet when they combine with select Verizon mobile plans.” To learn more, go to verizon.com/home, provide your address and see if your home is covered.   Live in a Fios area? Verizon has you covered Residents whose homes are eligible for Fios aren’t missing out on unbeatable value and services from Verizon. Verizon Home Internet services start at $25 per month with AutoPay and select 5G mobile plans, all without extra fees, equipment charges, annual contracts or data caps.   Verizon 5G Business Internet Looking to power your business? Qualified local businesses in these areas will also have access to 5G Business Internet from Verizon. 5G Business Internet is ultra-fast wireless business internet powered by 5G Ultra Wideband. This wireless alternative to cable internet is for businesses of all sizes and includes professional installation, multiple pricing and service options, unlimited data and a 10-year price guarantee for 5G Business Internet service. Get started stress-free with our 30 day guarantee. New, qualified 5G Business Internet customers can get up to a $1,500 bill credit to help cover early termination fees from their current carrier. To learn more about Verizon 5G Business Internet, visit verizon.com/5gbusinessinternet and plug in an address to see what service is available.   Join the network you need at a price you’ll love Verizon is the nation’s most reliable 5G network4, but not everyone knows how affordable it is to join. With Welcome Unlimited; now you can get the network you want at a price you’ll love - and the price is guaranteed for three years. Join the network you want for just $25 per line per month for four lines on Welcome Unlimited with Auto Pay, plus taxes and fees5 when you bring your phones. Today’s announcement builds on Verizon’s 5G growth and innovation across industries with its mobility, nationwide broadband and consumer offerings. Article originally posted on Verizon News Center:  Four Northeast cities get new 5G Internet options from Verizon

Whether you’re a seasoned participator in the Verizon Community or just joining us, there are a couple key ways that you can see your participation pay off!  Here’s a primer on two key Community features: Ranks and Badges.   Rank Up As you contribute and participate more and more in the Community, you’ll ascend through the ranks!  Your rank can easily be found on your profile card or on your profile itself.  Everyone starts off as a Newbie but if you come back to the Community and continue to participate, you won’t be there for long! Each rank has 3 levels.  As you move through each level, you will see a piece of the circle fill in.  Once you pass the third level for that rank, you’ll complete the circle and be promoted to the next rank!  You’ll also see this reflected in the rank progression at the bottom of your profile card, with previous ranks checked off. As you can see from the rank progression, there are 6 ranks to level up and ascend through.  Once you complete all of the ranks, you’ll be a Community Legend! There are many factors that contribute to your rank - in fact, pretty much everything you do while participating in the Community helps you rank up!  Creating a new post, commenting on someone else’s post, receiving likes and having your post marked as a correct answer all contribute to raising your rank.   Badge of Honor In addition to your rank, you can show off your Community achievements with badges!  Just like with ranks, almost every way that you can participate in the Community helps with achieving one of our badges.  You can find your badges on your dashboard right when you log in.   If you click to show all badges, you’ll see every badge that’s available!  When you earn a new badge, you will see a notification but don’t stop there, as many badges have multiple levels.  You can also see your badges in your user profile. We hope to see you decorated with badges and rising to the rank of Community Legend in no time!  If you have any questions about ranks or badges, feel free to leave a comment!

  Today, the 5G Future Forum (5GFF) will lead a first-in-the-world demonstration that is expected to change the evolution of music collaboration. Using the 5GFF Edge Discovery Service (EDS) API, which enables devices to identify and connect to the Mobile Edge Compute (MEC) site providing the lowest latency closest to them, the performance will showcase the value of the interoperability of the EDS API, leveraging Open Sesame’s audio platform to sync guitar players across New York, USA (Verizon), Toronto, Canada (Rogers), and London, England (Vodafone). This experience is being made possible with Open Sesame’s SyncStageTM, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Rogers, Verizon and Vodafone and will feature a musical arrangement by Carl Verheyen, ranked One of the World's Top 10 Guitarists by Guitar Magazine. The event will be held at noon CET at Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2023 in Theater 1, Hall 6. “SyncStage with 5GFF opens up a wide range of use cases allowing collaboration to be borderless across music education, music collaboration, live performances, gaming and the metaverse, bringing humans together,” said Julian McCrea, Open Sesame, Co-Founder. “For our SyncStage use case, we did three rounds of technical feasibility with our three 5GFF partners over an eight week period, consistently iterating to improve latency, jitter and packet loss. This required a lot of coordination with each telco partner’s product and technology teams. The fact that the 5GFF is set up to do this and work in an agile manner is critical to the project's success.” In another showcase of the 5GFF EDS API, 5GFF member KT Corp. will be demonstrating 5G MEC federation use cases at the KT booth (Hall 4, 4A60). Attendees will virtually visit a Korean apparel shop, experiencing an 8K 360 VR shopping application deployed on the closest edge server selected by the EDS API. In the future, federated 5G MEC is expected to expand to various B2B services such as smart factories. “Today’s demonstrations of the Edge Discovery Services API, accompanied by the publication of our ‘Building the 5G Future: Exploring Developer and Telecom Partnerships’ white paper, highlight the incredible progress the 5GFF is making towards its mission to accelerate real-life 5G and MEC deployments around the world,” said John Nitti, SVP, Strategy, New Business and Partner Development for Verizon. “Instant global music collaboration that doesn’t miss a beat is finally being realised through 5G and edge computing,” said Jennifer Didoni, Head of Cloud, Edge and Mobile Private Networks Portfolio for Vodafone Business. “As the first operator to launch MEC across multiple European countries, we are bringing essential applications and services closer to the customer. Now, working with the 5GFF and our global partners, we will speed up the adoption and availability of these new APIs globally.” “Innovation is a big part of our company’s DNA and as a founding member of the 5G Future Forum, Rogers is proud to work with our global partners to accelerate the delivery of 5G and mobile edge compute technology in Canada and around the world,” said Ron McKenzie, Chief Technology and Information Officer, Rogers Communications. “Today’s ‘Music Over MEC’ jam session demo is a powerful example of how 5G and mobile edge compute will transform how we communicate and collaborate around the world.” The 5GFF is inviting ISVs globally who either currently use 5G MEC or have 5G MEC utilization in their roadmap to apply for the 5GFF MEC Acceleration Program (MAP). MAP is designed to expand and interconnect the global MEC ecosystem by partnering and engaging with developers whose applications leverage 5G. The benefits to ISVs through close interaction with the world’s leading telcos include the ability to influence and provide feedback during the 5GFF API development process, the opportunity to conduct API demos on the world’s largest stages, and the chance to gain support in enhancing and tailoring offerings to meet the needs of telco customers. ISVs can learn more and apply for the 5GFF MAP program at 5gff.org/5g-map/. About the 5GFF The 5G Future Forum (5GFF) consists of America Movil, Bell Canada, KT Corp., NOS, Rogers and Telstra, Verizon and Vodafone, taking on the challenge to solve for seamless MEC interoperability across global telecom networks. The Forum creates the governance structure and develops both technical and commercial work streams to enable the global delivery and deployment of 5G MEC solutions. The 5GFF’s partnership-focused approach enables operators to drive reach and scale, while empowering members to jointly innovate 5G cutting edge applications and use cases. About Open Sesame Media, Inc. Open Sesame Media is a B2B venture providing low latency synchronized audio to application developers via its patented SyncStage TM  audio platform. In short, we 'sync' a group of users at extremely low latency to enable 'real time' online audio collaborations. Article originally posted on Verizon News Center:  5G Future Forum accelerating 5G and Edge Compute solutions around the world