Verizon Wireless Buys Alltel for $28.1 Billion
Jun 5, 2008, 9:14 AM by Eric M. Zeman
updated Jun 5, 2008, 9:24 AM
Verizon Wireless has agreed to acquire Alltel from the private equity firms that currently own the nation's fifth-largest national wireless provider. Verizon Wireless will acquire Alltel's assets, including 13 million customers and coverage in 57 markets where it has no presence, as well as Alltel's debt. The merged companies will surpass AT&T's 71 million customers to become the nation's largest provider of wireless goods and services with 80 million customers. The move will greatly expand the regions where Alltel's customers can roam without incurring fees, and also gives Verizon's customers greater freedoms in the rural markets where Verizon previously had no coverage. The merger should be completed by the end of 2008, depending on the required regulatory approvals.
Boost Gets Its Own Affordable 5G phone
Comments
Its even worse for Blackberry people
With alltel there is no "additional" blackberry fee each month like all the other guys, yes its included! It is a shame they sold out considering there roaming agreements with verizon and sprint both as well as there own towers give them really a huge advantage in coverage. 😡
mike2959 said:...
With Alltel there is no "additional" Blackberry fee each month, unlike all the other guys. Yes, it's included! It is a shame they sold out, considering their roaming agreements with both Verizon and Sprint; not to me
(continues)
CDMA(Red Nazi's) vs. GSM
Smart move for Big Red to buy Alltel. This phenomenally expands their coverage footprints both ways for former Alltel and Verizon customers. Now good ole Sprint needs to make up its mind where to go from here. If Verizon buys them, it will be one big fat CDMA giant monopoly. T-Mobile and AT&T need to do some serious thinking. GSM is worldwide yes, but would be an interesting merger if they decided to go that way too. Then you have the battle of CDMA Verizon vs. GSM. Ultimate sacrifice, watch your prices go through the roof. 😲
CDMA is a slowly dying protocol. In 5-10 years (by the time the Verizon-Alltel merger dust settles) LTE networks will be blanketing the country by all major providers with the exception of Sprint.
The CDMA v. GSM argument is really becoming an irre...
(continues)
The CDMA v. GSM argument is really becoming an irre...
(continues)
...
Mark_S said:...
Smart move for Big Red to buy Alltel. This phenomenally expands their coverage footprints both ways for former Alltel and Verizon customers. Now good ole Sprint needs to make up its mind where to go from here. If Veriz
(continues)
...
It's funny that your title got to stay, while mine got deleted. But I do agree, AT&T and T-Mobile are in danger.
How In The *** Does AT&T Have 71 Mill Customers?
I understand why people join Verizon, Sprint and T-Mo, but who honestly feels the need to join AT&T? They have the highest priced plans by far, and don't offer any of the goodies the other carriers offer. AT&T has one of the lowest performance networks in the USA. Why does AT&T keep adding customers? Are people just stupid and trust their commercials on having the so-called best coverage. Or their claim of having the fewest dropped calls.
71 million customers for AT&T? It will be nice to see Verizon overtake AT&T again. But I can't believe their is 71 million stupid people more then willing to throw money down the toilet on the worst possible carrier!
71 million customers for AT&T? It will be nice to see Verizon overtake AT&T again. But I can't believe their is 71 million stupid people more then willing to throw money down the toilet on the worst possible carrier!
I think that also includes prepay to get to 71M.
...
I personally had a nasty billing experience with Verizon that took months to settle. That was also in an area where Verizon has terrible network coverage. So, should I assume that Verizon has a subpar network that could be considered the worst on th...
(continues)
(continues)
NEWS FLASH! When AT&T WIRELESS and CINGULAR merged to form the New Cingular, they only had a combined 52 Million Customers. They didn't count GOPHONE then and they still don't to this day. That merger was almost 4 years ago. During that time they'...
(continues)
(continues)
...
US Cellular we connect with you!
They may not be one of the big boys but here in eastern NC they have the BEST network coverage not to mention their SUPERIOR customer service.
Check this out:
1. nationwide coverage
2. unlimited mobile/mobile to/from their cust
3. unlimited incoming calls
4. unlimited nights/weekends atarting at 7PM
I've had them since 1991 and have changed plans/phones many times over the years and they NEVER require a new contract unless you get some kind of promotion such as a new discounted phone.
Dropped calls are non-existent here in eastern NC and when you call customer service you get someone who speaks ENGLISH!
Alltel customers....come and get your love!!
Check this out:
1. nationwide coverage
2. unlimited mobile/mobile to/from their cust
3. unlimited incoming calls
4. unlimited nights/weekends atarting at 7PM
I've had them since 1991 and have changed plans/phones many times over the years and they NEVER require a new contract unless you get some kind of promotion such as a new discounted phone.
Dropped calls are non-existent here in eastern NC and when you call customer service you get someone who speaks ENGLISH!
Alltel customers....come and get your love!!
Unnn......Verizon does not require a contract extension for a plan change. They were the first major carrier not to require it. Also, all Verizon call centers are located in the US, so you will get someone who speaks english.
Please get a clue befo...
(continues)
Please get a clue befo...
(continues)
...
I started with Verizon and had a dropped call every other phone call. They allowed me to lower my plan but I lost all my features. But I didnt care because I just did it to so i could pay less to get my contract over with. Then I went to cingular and ...
(continues)
(continues)
I work on the SD/NE border and we have people regularly moving from Nebraska to South Dakota where US Cellular doesn't have coverage (though they will soon, as I would imagine VZW will spin off the Alltel service in SD to USC to avoid a monopoly), and...
(continues)
(continues)
...
The End of MyCircle???
I would be curious to know if VZW will grandfather those plans for Alltel customers, force them to change their plan off MyCircle, or maybe take a Sprint Nextel approach and eventually adopt them for all their subscribers??? Any thoughts on this?
Or is verizon going to start offering my circle? I couldn't find the answer anywhere.
...
That, and Verizon will probably cripple Alltel's phones, too!
...
probably effective by the end of the year. Those who have it at that point will keep it and no new contracts or plan upgrades will be able to get it.
...
Probably. Look at it this way, though: You're going to lose ten or twenty friends but gain 60 million more!
...
...
Yeah they will grandfather your alltell plan and you'll probably get to go month to month due to alltells no contracts. But the moment you upgrade a phone or want to make a change is when they will get you onto a contract and one of their price plans....
(continues)
(continues)
...
they will burn in hell for sucky commercials!!!!
UNLIKE SPRINT NEXTEL, this is a good move
The two companies operate the same network tech (CDMA and EVDO Rev A, plus both announced LTE)
The two companies both have high quality reliable networks
The two companies both have great customer service
The two companies for the most part do not have much overlapping coverage. combining the coverage makes a new nearly national footprint.
smart move!
The two companies both have high quality reliable networks
The two companies both have great customer service
The two companies for the most part do not have much overlapping coverage. combining the coverage makes a new nearly national footprint.
smart move!
fosho fosho Midnight!
NOT!!! This is a horrible move! Verizon is only doing this because sales have been horrible, customer service is at an all time low, and att is kicking their asses. This is one of the reasons I resigned from VZW this week.
...
I think its actually a great move. Both companies compliment eachother as far as coverage. Their ideas of quality network and customer service are top notch. Everyone here is entitled to their opinion and I respect them all. Yes it is a lot of money b...
(continues)
(continues)
MidnightDT said:...
The two companies operate the same network tech (CDMA and EVDO Rev A, plus both announced LTE)
The two companies both have high quality reliable networks
The two companies both have great customer service
(continues)
This is a great move for Verizon to stay competitive with its GSM counterpart, AT&T. There is no way that Verizon will alienate the "my circle" customer base. Alltel made their name with that plan set. So i am sure VZW will keep/make my circle plans i...
(continues)
(continues)
Midwest Monopoly??
Rural states in the midwest will have no other choice than the Red Nazi's, GSM phones simply do not get coverage in states like wyoming, nebraska, and Montana, and the other mom and pop companies that try to provide service can not compete with a Verizon Alltel merge.
This is good for customers because it will provide a huge service map without any worries of roaming, alltel and Verizon both have solid coverage maps individually, it is unfortunate though that now customers will not have much of a choice but to choose verizon, its a sad day for alltel customers that now have to go back to the dark side ☹️
This is good for customers because it will provide a huge service map without any worries of roaming, alltel and Verizon both have solid coverage maps individually, it is unfortunate though that now customers will not have much of a choice but to choose verizon, its a sad day for alltel customers that now have to go back to the dark side ☹️
I dont see your beef with verizon, 95% of issues people have with any carrier is their own neglegant fault, I have tried many different services in the midwest and verizon is by far the best reception a lot has to do with their phones (hell verizon ph...
(continues)
(continues)
...
I think there will be great scrutiny of the deal, especially in rural states such as Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana. In Minnesota, should it be approved without conditions, Verizon would have been able to combine Verizon...
(continues)
(continues)
States like those you mentioned may not get coverage from GSM phones due to lack of tower presence by GSM-based carriers, not by the fact that they are GSM and not CDMA. They use essentially the same frequencies with a different kind of signal carrie...
(continues)
(continues)
...
alltelblues said:...
Rural states in the midwest will have no other choice than the Red Nazi's, GSM phones simply do not get coverage in states like wyoming, nebraska, and Montana, and the other mom and pop companies that try to provi
(continues)
...
Who cares
Everyone is all worked up and speculating what will happen to Alltel customers; what will happen to Unicel customers. Is my plan going to change; will I need new equipment? Will my service fees go up?
Can someone out there honestly tell me when the last time there service plan or equipment didn't change?
As long as there is at least more than one choice, competition will exist.
So who is going to get hurt by the VZW and AT&T owning the vast majority of the marketplace?
It will be the smaller companies who are so afraid to change or take a risk to keep up with the technology, that no one wants to be their customer and no one wants to buy them... Maybe Sprint should have got this memo before buying Nextel.
Can someone out there honestly tell me when the last time there service plan or equipment didn't change?
As long as there is at least more than one choice, competition will exist.
So who is going to get hurt by the VZW and AT&T owning the vast majority of the marketplace?
It will be the smaller companies who are so afraid to change or take a risk to keep up with the technology, that no one wants to be their customer and no one wants to buy them... Maybe Sprint should have got this memo before buying Nextel.
Now if only At&t would buy VZW......
Then they would have like 160 million customers!
We would just have to deal with cell phone plans starting at $250 a month.......
We would just have to deal with cell phone plans starting at $250 a month.......
If that's the case..... MONOPOLY!!!
I am really scared about the direction that the cell phone market is taking towards monopoly or oligopoly. I wonder what the Congress should think about this.....
I am really scared about the direction that the cell phone market is taking towards monopoly or oligopoly. I wonder what the Congress should think about this.....
...
Are you joking here or being serious?
...
Just had to get that off my chest. Its so frustrating to have AT&T as a thorn in the side.
...
What's next?
AT&T, in a desparate move of mobile phone company expansion, buys T-Mobile, along with every other rural GSM carrier in the country, then expands to Canada, buying Rogers & Fido.
Verizon, in response, secretly forms a South Korean dummy corporation that they use to purchase all the major carriers there, making them the undisputed king of CDMA, all the while goaded on by Qualcomm.
AT&T, not to be outdone, arranges the "mysterious disappearance" of Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin, who is happily replaced by his mustachioed "cousin Ralph" de-la-Sarin, who, with the permission of Empress Hillary Clinton, brings the two global companies together in a supposed move of harmony, but the infighting continues.
Eventually, all towers are turned up to ...
(continues)
Verizon, in response, secretly forms a South Korean dummy corporation that they use to purchase all the major carriers there, making them the undisputed king of CDMA, all the while goaded on by Qualcomm.
AT&T, not to be outdone, arranges the "mysterious disappearance" of Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin, who is happily replaced by his mustachioed "cousin Ralph" de-la-Sarin, who, with the permission of Empress Hillary Clinton, brings the two global companies together in a supposed move of harmony, but the infighting continues.
Eventually, all towers are turned up to ...
(continues)
japhy said:
Centuries later, aliens visit the burnt out remains of planet Earth, only to remark "These guys didn't even make it to LTE? OMFG - how backward is that!"
😉
Definitely the funniest thing I...
(continues)
July 1st?
I just got off the phone with a source at VZW Corp and she said that there is something else that they are working on that they will announce on July 1st that isn't related to the Alltel deal. She didn't provide me any details but I was curious if anyone knew anything about this.
Also people please remember that just because they have announced that they want to buy Alltel it still has to get approval. This would create a big monopoly in a lot of markets as well as over the us. Time will tell if the FCC will even allow it to happen.
I also love how Alltel reps are sending people to my store today to have us answer the questions that they have. MORE LINES FOR US!
Also people please remember that just because they have announced that they want to buy Alltel it still has to get approval. This would create a big monopoly in a lot of markets as well as over the us. Time will tell if the FCC will even allow it to happen.
I also love how Alltel reps are sending people to my store today to have us answer the questions that they have. MORE LINES FOR US!
Its pretty much a done deal. Both carriers are CMDA and the logistics of it all won't be complicated because there won't be any drastic changes to the networks.
...
natemc said:...
I just got off the phone with a source at VZW Corp and she said that there is something else that they are working on that they will announce on July 1st that isn't related to the Alltel deal. She didn't provide me an
(continues)
I might be the re launch of push to talk rev a.
...
now can sprint disappear pretty please???
as a former employee of sprint and a card carrying member of vzw(even while i was working for sprint if that tells you something about that company...lol)...they just need to buy sprint/nextel soon and take over the cdma market. vzw has the money to spend and sprint cant keep taking the losses it has been for the past 2 years.
just imagine....evdo and 1x coverage everywhere you go....it would be the perfect company.
1-verizon buys sprint/nextel
2-verizon sells the iden goverment for bookoo money
3-its all a wash and vzw just gained about 40mil customers.
do it!
just imagine....evdo and 1x coverage everywhere you go....it would be the perfect company.
1-verizon buys sprint/nextel
2-verizon sells the iden goverment for bookoo money
3-its all a wash and vzw just gained about 40mil customers.
do it!
sorry...heres how the steps should have looked like
1-verizon buys sprint/nextel
2-verizon sells the iden network to the goverment for bookoo money
3-its all a wash and vzw just gained about 40mil customers.
1-verizon buys sprint/nextel
2-verizon sells the iden network to the goverment for bookoo money
3-its all a wash and vzw just gained about 40mil customers.
...
No major carrier can buy another after this. It is making competition impossible at this point. Sprint will either be bought by an overseas company or not at all. If Verizon bought Sprint, which they really don't have the money for now, you would only...
(continues)
(continues)
...
🙄
Let me guess, you didn't choose to leave Sprint did you? Sounds like someone is a little bitter. . .
Let me guess, you didn't choose to leave Sprint did you? Sounds like someone is a little bitter. . .
...
GSM Roaming areas?
Alltel has alot of GSM parter coverage for T-mo and cingular (cell one of southern ill/ former western wireless). does anyone think Verizon may sell this to them? Spin it off? keep the status Quo?
When Verizon bought rural cellular, they sold the gsm portion to cingular (att)
When Verizon bought rural cellular, they sold the gsm portion to cingular (att)
NeumZ said:...
Alltel has alot of GSM parter coverage for T-mo and cingular (cell one of southern ill/ former western wireless). does anyone think Verizon may sell this to them? Spin it off? keep the status Quo?
When Verizon bought
(continues)
you kids are so stupid
all you morons are ****ing stupid. they should lock these forums so dumbasses like yourselves can pretend to know what you're talking about elsewhere. Always thinking you're in the loop..you dont work for a wireless carrier.... you dont know phones or plans or company structure. Stupid customers and kids on their parent's family plans. it's just laughable 😁
R.I.P. ATT's #1 Spot (2004-2008)
Alas ATT's #1 spot... we knew ye well. 😢
The King is dead. Hail to the King!
The King is dead. Hail to the King!
Did anyone 'really' care ?
...
Be careful this could be considered trolling, you could get a warning and banned! 🙄 You can't praise verizon for acquiring Altell it's against TOS> 🙄
...
Now who has more bars in more place? 😈 Or will in the very near future.
...
Is this all a hoax?
Nothing on the FCC website
Nothing mentioned on the networks
If this such big news, how come we are the only ones chatting about it?
Starting to think it is all a hoax.
Nothing mentioned on the networks
If this such big news, how come we are the only ones chatting about it?
Starting to think it is all a hoax.
...
In addition to the link mentioned on the Alltel site there was also a broadcast email from Lowell himself. So death to Chad, and death to my circle. 😈
Merger
I want to know where that idiot on the form is that complained and got in to arguments with other forum users that Verizon does not buy its customers like AT&T. Well here is a big in your teeth you idiot. Every company buys smaller ones to grow, its called doing business. Verizon didn't buy big companies till this one since it started but several mom and pop cell companies in small areas add up. Had to get that off my chest, all in all I think great move.
Mindless babble, you really should get a life
I have to agree. Even modern Sprint is the merger of many different companies (Extend America, Nextel, Nextel Partners, Sprint, many Sprint affiliates.) While the branding was limited to two brands, Sprint was forced to pay a premium for many of the...
(continues)
(continues)
