Projo Biz Blog

Area commuters who count on skirting traffic jams by using a feature on their Verizon Wireless cell phones' navigation systems were out of luck the past few days.

The "real time" traffic feature on the VZ Navigators was out of commission from late last week until Tuesday for a software update, according to Mike Murphy, New England spokesman for Verizon Wireless.

He said the subcontractor that provides the traffic information, which appears as green, yellow or red highlights on VZ Navigator routes did updates that primarily affected Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware and New Jersey.

He said the update started last Thursday was complete and the traffic feature working by Tuesday.

According to Murphy, VZ Navigator with its real-time traffic and movie theater information is just one of many "data services" that are becoming more and more popular as people rely on their phones for more than just calls.

"It's the area of growth in the wireless industry," he said.

 Tags  cell phones Verizon Wireless wireless services

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