Looked up a web page on my Verizon LG Voyager phone today and noticed something different: The page snapped into place with surprising speed. Then I saw the "EV" legend at the top of the screen.

EV-DO is the name of Verizon's high-speed, broadband service. We had it on our Verizon phones in Washington but the high speed wireless service was not available in this area.

Until now. Verizon turned on a new high speed data switch in Roanoke Thursday and EV-DO service came to Roanoke, the New River Valley and Floyd. Both my Voyager and Blackberry now benefit from the faster service. Email loads quickly and web pages pop up quickly.

EV-DO runs at data speeds from about 640kps to 1.4mbs -- about the same speed as basic DSL service. I'll have to check with Citizens to see if this means their wireless phones can utilize the new speeds. Citizens' wireless service is actually rebranded from Verizon but the company does not yet offer the smartphones and wireless data devices that can benefit from the higher speeds (although Citizens does market its own high-speed wireless service in Christiansburg and Blacksburg but not -- alas -- its home county of Floyd).