Natural gas research is underway at CNG and at the Department of Energy facility just south of Pittsburgh. Chief among the counties served are Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette and Washington. The company covers major portions of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland Counties. Over 900 microwave towers offer wireless communications and over 850 wire centers provide reliable telecommunications connections. Sonet rings are currently deployed in the region.
Several companies provide non-Verizon telephone companies with fiber optic capabilities.
Verizon Communications, formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, is one of the worl'd leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largst providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with 95 million access lines and 25 million wireless customers. Alltel Pennsylvania's territory includes all of Greene County, most of Armstrong County and parts of Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties and they provides digital and fiber optic service. Armstrong Telephone Company serves a small area in Allegheny, Beaver and Washington Counties near the Pittsburgh International Airport. The Pittsburgh market has three sales offices, Bridgeville, Greentree and Wexford with over 100 employees.