Verizon Wireless
Encyclopedia
Cellco Partnership, doing business as
Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operator
s in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America.
Headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey
, the company is a joint venture of U.S. telecommunications firm Verizon Communications
and UK multinational mobile network operator
Vodafone
, with 55 and 45 percent ownership respectively. On January 9, 2009, Verizon Wireless acquired Alltel
Wireless in a deal valued at $28.1 billion. The acquisition expanded Verizon's wireless network.
Verizon Wireless traces its roots to Bell Atlantic Mobile, NYNEX
Mobile Communications, AirTouch
Communications, PrimeCo
Communications, and GTE
Mobilnet. Bell Atlantic Mobile and NYNEX Mobile Communications merged in 1995 to create Bell Atlantic – NYNEX Mobile, and in 1997 their namesake Baby Bell parents followed suit to form the new Bell Atlantic and their wireless subsidiary was renamed Bell Atlantic Mobile. Bell Atlantic Mobile and NYNEX Mobile Communications were created from Advanced Mobile Phone Service, Inc., which was a subsidiary of AT&T created in 1978 to provide cellular service nationwide. AMPS, Inc. was divided among the RBOCs as part of the Bell System Divestiture
.
Meanwhile, in June 1999, AirTouch Communications of San Francisco merged with UK-based Vodafone
Group Plc, forming Vodafone AirTouch Plc. In September 1999, Vodafone AirTouch announced a $90-billion joint venture with Bell Atlantic Corp. to be called Verizon Wireless, and which would comprise the two companies' U.S. wireless assets: Bell Atlantic Mobile and AirTouch Paging. This wireless joint venture received regulatory approval in six months, and began operations as Verizon Wireless on April 4, 2000. On June 30, 2000, the addition of GTE Wireless' assets, in connection with the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE to form Verizon Communications
, made Verizon Wireless the nation's largest wireless communications provider. Verizon held that position until Cingular's acquisition of AT&T Wireless
in 2004, and again after their acquisition of Alltel
in 2009. However, with the pending AT&T
acquisition of T-Mobile USA
in place, Verizon could become the 2nd largest provider in the United States. For the joint venture, Verizon Communications owns 55%, which is held through its subsidiaries Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, Inc. and GTE Wireless, Inc., which hold 24.2% and 30.8% respectively, and UK-based Vodafone Group (formerly Vodafone AirTouch) owns 45% through its subsidiaries PCS Nucleus, L.P. and JV PartnerCo, LLC which owns 6.2% and 38.8% respectively. The name "Verizon," a portmanteau, is derived by combining the word "veritas," a Latin term that means "truth," and the word "horizon." Together, they are supposed to conjure images of reliability, certainty, leadership, and limitless possibilities. Verizon Wireless would mark the debut of the "Verizon" name; that name would pass on to the Bell Atlantic/ GTE merger on June 30, 2000 which would become known as "Verizon Communications".
technology, the other being Sprint Nextel
. Alltel
also used CDMA before becoming part of Verizon Wireless. Other regional carriers that use CDMA are: U.S. Cellular
, Cricket
, and MetroPCS
(see List of United States mobile phone companies for more information). Verizon supports the 4 generations of CDMA (IS-95
, 1x, EV-DO
, and e-HRPD) networks and now its newest 4G LTE service which was released on Sunday December 5, 2010 in many cities. At that time, 4G LTE service was only offered as a mobile broadband data option. 4G LTE-Compatible Verizon mobile phones were released in the first quarter of 2011.
Verizon Wireless invests $5.7 billion annually on average to maintain and expand its nationwide CDMA network. Verizon Wireless offers voice services as well as 3G data services such as wireless broadband based on EV-DO Rev A, text
and picture messaging, over-the-air downloadable applications and content from its "Media Center" ( previously called, Get-It-Now) service, Video on Demand
in the form of V CAST
(which allows customers to download and view video content), location-based service
s, and Push-to-Talk.
On June 30, 2007, Verizon Wireless completed the overhaul of the entire EV-DO
network to EV-DO Rev. A
. This enables PC Card
s and certain phones to obtain theoretical peak download speeds of 3.1 Mbit/s and upload speeds of up to 1.8 Mbit/s. The actual download and upload speeds vary due to a number of factors, and users will typically see speeds close to 1 Mbit/s down, and 500 kbit/s up.
On November 27, 2007, Verizon Wireless announced plans to allow all cell phones compatible with their CDMA technology to run on their network. Users of such phones are also allowed to use any application they wish.
However, on September 20, 2007, Verizon Wireless announced a joint effort with the Vodafone Group to transition their networks to the 4G
standard LTE
and on November 29, 2007, Verizon Wireless announced that they would start LTE trials in 2008. On December 9, 2008, Verizon announced that they intend to build and begin to roll out an LTE
network, by the beginning of 2011. Adopting LTE would make for a gradual shift away from Verizon Wireless’ current use of CDMA technology because it is a completely different platform, but would offer increased operability for users traveling worldwide.
On January 25, 2009, Verizon Wireless released its first Femtocell
called the Verizon Wireless Network Extender.
Verizon claims to operate "America's Largest and Most Reliable Wireless Network," covering approximately 290 million people.
On December 5, 2010 Verizon Wireless launched its “4G LTE" network. In an announcement made on January 6, 2011, from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless stated in the first half of 2011 they will release: 10 new LTE devices including, five smartphones, two tablets, two netbooks, and two MiFi hotspots.
in the country by showing people using cell phones and then gesturing with two fingers, much like the World War II-era "V for Victory
" sign, to show that the person was on the Verizon ("V" or "iN") network. The slogan for Verizon Wireless at that time was "Join in." (Reminiscent of the slogan "Join in" was used in their marketing scheme up to this day. i.e., "iN-calling," "iN-messaging," and even the toll-free number "1-800-2-JOIN-IN.").
Later, Verizon adopted the slogan "We never stop working for you," with commercials (starting in 2002) depicting a Verizon employee roaming about in strange places continuously asking, "Can you hear me now? Good." (The "employee" is played by stage actor Paul Marcarelli
) The "test man" represents Verizon test technicians.
In 2005, Verizon Wireless added an "army" of network engineers into their commercials in conjunction with the "test man" and introduced the slogan "It's the Network." to emphasize their network quality. (Verizon Wireless still uses the slogan "We never stop working for you." from time to time – especially on their website, toll-free number, and shopping bags.)
In 2008, Verizon Wireless sponsored Korean pop sensation Se7en further helping Se7en trademark his name in America and promote his U.S. debut single that was released in spring 2009.
Also in 2008, Verizon Wireless began a new television advertising campaign, with parodies of horror movies (including The Shining
), with people trying to scare a main character with tales of a Dead Zone where calls cannot be made, who calmly responds that he or she has Verizon, and then the slogan appears, "Don't be afraid of Dead Zones."
In early 2009, Verizon Wireless officially dropped the "IN" campaign. Previously, calls between two Verizon Wireless subscribers were referred to as IN calling, but will now be referred to as Mobile-to-Mobile calling. With this change, Verizon Wireless also renamed their prepaid service Verizon Wireless Prepaid from iNPulse to Prepay.
In mid-2009, when the markets Verizon acquired from Alltel began to transition to the Verizon Wireless brand, web ads began to appear showing the test man with Chad, the Alltel salesman character that has appeared on Alltel commercials for the past five years.
Late in 2009, Verizon began ads that made use of the iPhone
"There's an app
for that" slogan, changing it to "There's a map for that" (see below). They began with maps showing large areas of the United States covered in red to represent Verizon's 3G
service, with very limited areas in blue to show 3G service for AT&T
, which at the time was required to use the full capabilities of the iPhone.
The ads progressively got more aggressive, including one where the iPhone was placed on the Island of Misfit Toys.
In 2010 Verizon launched its latest advertising campaign creating the new tagline "Rule The Air." The campaign boasts Verizon's allegedly superior ability to "send a strong signal" and early advertisements heavily feature Verizon's range of Android powered smartphones.
In 2011, Paul Marcarelli reprised his role as the Verizon test man to promote the Verizon iPhone 4
, slamming AT&T's network when he answers a phone call using the iPhone with, "Yes, I can hear you now."
's BREW technology, allowing a user to download and use applications on a Verizon Wireless Get It Now-enabled phone. It is a proprietary interface to download ringtones, music, games, applications, and use instant messaging
on a phone. Users usually are unable to load content on the Verizon Wireless phones outside of Get It Now system; this is done for financial reasons. Verizon Wireless has exclusivity agreements with its Get It Now content providers (this is a walled garden
system). Sometimes cell phone enthusiasts perform unsupported modifications to their phones or use 3rd-party software to make the phone accept non- Get It Now -originated content, or use free services that send ring tones through picture messaging, like Mobile17
. In 2008 Verizon Wireless announced that their "Get It Now" service will be renamed "Media Center" on all their future phones beginning with the LG EnV2.
On March 25, 2011, Verizon sent a software update to Get It Now to users of some older phones. If the phone was not activated at that time, or had a data block, the phone did not receive the required update to continue Get It Now functionality. Phone models known to be affected include the LG VX8100, LG VX8300 and LG VX9100 series. Subscribers with these phones can no longer acquire applications, update applications and software or access Backup Assistant from their phones unless they visit a Verizon Wireless Retail Store and have the phone flashed with the update.
All applications through Get It Now/Media Center are BREW-based and the selection differs depending on what Verizon phone one is using.
Many first-time mobile phone users freely access the internet through internet-capable phones ("Mobile Web"), only to find that a sizable charge has been added to their phone bill at month's end. Verizon currently charges $1.99 USD per megabyte (in 2009) downloaded into the phone from the internet. This is called "Megabyte Usage" or "Data Usage". Whenever anyone accesses the internet, the charge is incurred, because in order to access the web, web pages must be downloaded into the phone for viewing. New customers are often confused on what activities incur a charge and which activities do not. Visiting 50 web pages is a download of .3 MB. A visit to Media Center/Get It Now page incurs a charge, even if nothing is bought/downloaded. Music, games or ringtones downloads incurs the MB charge, but Picture/Video messaging (MMS) does not charge. Whenever data is being downloaded into the phone, a little phone icon with arrows going back and forth appears. Blocks can be set by account owner to block specific types of downloads. If a specific type of unlimited download is included in the customer's plan, then the customer is charged a flat fee per month instead of per MB.http://community.vzw.com/vrzn/attachments/vrzn/Messaging/3168/1/MB%20Billing%20Matrix.pdfhttp://community.vzw.com/vrzn/board/message?board.id=Messaging&thread.id=3107
to their destination.
, and entertainment delivery system.
that backs up the mobile address books of Verizon Wireless subscribers. The contacts are stored on My Verizon and can be edited and migrated to a new device if needed. However, on March 25, 2011, Verizon discontinued offering Get It Now to users of some older phones. Subscribers with these phones can no longer access Backup Assistant from their phones. Backup Assistant is free for Verizon Wireless customers. The technology for Backup Assistant is provided by Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. In February 2010, Backup Assistant became free to all VZW subscribers.
Effective July 13, 2009, OnStar and Verizon Wireless stopped accepting any new customers on this program.
This decision does not affect those OnStar customers who already are enrolled in the Verizon Wireless shared minute program. Although the shared minute program has been discontinued, OnStar customers can still use OnStar’s voice-activated Hands-Free Calling by purchasing minutes from OnStar.
service competes directly with landline
services from local carriers and offers unlimited US calling for $19.99/month plus taxes and surcharges. Although the Verizon Wireless Network is used to carry signal to and from the residence where the service is installed, subscribers use their home phones rather than a mobile handset to make and receive calls. The device which interfaces between the Verizon network and home phones is identical in function to the devices called ATA
s which VoIP providers like Vonage
use as an interface between the Internet and phones. Verizon Wireless promotes the fact that no Internet connection is required and supplies the interface device for $29.99 with a two year contract or charges $129.99 on a month-to-month plan.
The device supplied by Verizon Wireless includes battery backup so that, like a PSTN line, it will continue to function during a power outage. It also has a GPS so that accurate location information can be provided on a 911 call.
The service is not compatible with satellite TV DVRs, medical monitoring devices, fax machines, and most wired home monitoring systems. Wireless security systems, however, circumvent the need for a landline connection and are therefore unaffected by the switch to Verizon's device.
A variant of the service is available for a $9.99/month plus taxes and surcharges. This is essentially an extra line on an existing Verizon Wireless mobile phone plan and does not include unlimited calling.
The Claro
brand ("claro" being Spanish for "Sure or Clear") was launched in Puerto Rico
on May 18, 2007 as rebranding the Verizon Wireless trademark, after Verizon International sold its stake in Puerto Rico Telephone Co. (PRTC). Claro is the wireless arm of PRTC, which serves wireline telephone and data services in the island. The brand was introduced to the wireless
segment after March 30, 2007 acquisition of the telecom by América Móvil
.
The company has made public its plans to launch a GSM/UMTS network parallel to the CDMA/EvDO network it operates since 2002. Claro has mobile voice and data services in Puerto Rico's 78 cities and towns and its coverage is constantly expanding, the company says.
Verizon Wireless still offers voice coverage in Puerto Rico by roaming on the Claro network. On America's Choice II and Nationwide calling plans, usage on this network is included at no cost (considered Extended Network) but on any other plan it costs $.69 per min.
Starting May 1, 2009, due to an agreement with the CDMA company "Iusacell", Verizon Wireless offers the Nationwide + Mexico calling plans. These plans allow users to call Mexico as part of their regular minutes. Users who travel can also roam into Mexico at no additional charge.
On August 17, 2009 Verizon began their work with Catalyst Communications Technologies. Catalyst integrated Verizon Wireless Push-to-Talk service with traditional Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Systems. This allowed for greater RoIP
. This advanced solution dynamically routes Push-to-Talk voice on the Verizon Wireless nationwide network and calls placed on private radio systems and connects the two together. The new solution routes push-to-talk voice and calls placed on private radio systems on the Verizon Wireless nationwide network. The Catalyst IP|Console provides dispatch
of Verizon Wireless push-to-talk calls as well as legacy Land Mobile Radio calls. The solution is designed for public safety
, transportation, energy, federal
and other critical communications agencies.
On October 14, 2010 Apple Inc. and Verizon Wireless announced a partnership that would bring the Apple iPad
to Verizon Wireless Stores across the United States on October 28, 2010. While the collaboration will not see Verizon compatible technology embedded in the iPad, it will bundle the iPad Wi-Fi with a Verizon MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot.
On January 5, 2011, at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless demonstrated the Onsight mobile collaboration system by Librestream
using the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. The system allows field workers to stream high resolution video, speak, and draw onscreen with remote workers, extending the power of mobile collaboration
to locations previously difficult to reach.
On January 11, 2011, Verizon announced during a media event that it had reached an agreement with Apple Inc. and would begin selling a CDMA
iPhone 4
. The Verizon iPhone 4 went on sale on February 10, 2011.
It includes features such as 'Mobile Hotspot', which allows a user to use the iPhone as a wireless hotspot
, with up to 5 devices connecting at one time. It also has a new antennae that is said to solve the 'death grip', which means that holding the iPhone 4 in a certain way would deplete its signal rapidly. Due to the minor 2-mm downward movement of the volume buttons, cases were adapted to specifically fit the Verizon iPhone.
Since this dispute, all smartphones sold on the Verizon network have their GPS receivers unlocked by default. Select older devices can be unlocked with a firmware upgrade. Phone hackers were able to restore GPS access to some older models which did not receive firmware updates. Access to aGPS
, however, remains locked on some smart phones, notably the Palm Pre Plus, which requires a GPS in order to operate as a Standalone GPS like Verizon claims it will do.
capability, when in reality it had no OBEX
or OPP functions built in. After many complaints, a class action suit was filed for false advertising, not only for advertising missing capabilities, but also for telling customers who complained to Verizon that an update was coming out "in November." The lawsuit was initiated in January 2005 and settlement decision became final on March 20, 2006, with Verizon offering to qualified members of the class action suit (purchased a V710 BEFORE February 2, 2005) a $25 credit to all of its V710 customers, or the option to trade in the V710 for $200 or original purchase price and allow them to keep their phone number and service, or $200 or original purchase price and allow them to break their contract and discontinue service with Verizon. The settlement to the lawsuit did not directly address the V710's restrictions. The same hardware crippling exists with Motorola
's successor to the V710, the E815, but unlike the V710, the E815 was marked clearly that OBEX and OPP was disabled. Additionally, through a SEEM
edit, OBEX could be enabled on the 815, but not on the 710 (the Verizon e815 lacks the OPP profile altogether).
OBEX and OPP was disabled on the majority of Verizon's handsets. This prevents phone to phone transfers through bluetooth. The reasoning given by Verizon is to prevent lawsuits involving the use of bluetooth to transfer licensed or copyrighted materials.
gateways. One result of this crippling has been a prominent network of "unofficial" web sites, documenting how to enable, access, or use hidden or crippled features.
Today, nearly all Verizon Wireless phones can save an MP3 as a ringtone, simply by Picture messaging or e-mailing the file as an attachment.
, a teenager from Overland Park, Kansas
, was abducted in a Target parking lot behind the Oak Park Mall
. She was murdered later that night, and immediately after an abandoned car was found, a search began for her. Local law enforcement involved in the investigation contacted Verizon Wireless, the family's cell phone provider at the time of the murder, for records to pinpoint a search location for her. Despite efforts made by the local investigators and eventually the FBI, it took Verizon three days to hand over cell phone records to law enforcement. A Verizon technician pinpointed a cell phone tower and told investigators to search 1.1 miles (1.8 km) north of the tower. Within 45 minutes, the body of Kelsey Smith was found.
network coverage. Since iPhones used AT&T, and maps used in the commercials claimed Verizon had five times the 3G
coverage of AT&T, iPhones were not as useful as they could be with Verizon's 3G coverage. This campaign was followed by new "iDon't" ads for Droid
phones which pointed out that Droids could do more than the iPhone could do. In November, AT&T filed a lawsuit against Verizon stating that they reach the same number of customers as Verizon Wireless, and claiming the ads were "misleading" and caused a loss of "incalculable market share." The ads only refer to 3G, and not overall coverage. However, the ads claim that many people outside urban areas may not receive 3G, in an industry where 4G may soon be the premium standard. Verizon has edited their ads, removing "out of touch" and adding in small print, "Voice and data services available outside of 3G areas." AT&T still does not agree with the ads, stating in their response, "The ads still confuse non-technical viewers into thinking AT&T provides no service at all outside of its 3G coverage." Verizon responded as follows: "AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon’s 'There’s A Map For That' advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon’s ads are true and the truth hurts." AT&T was defeated and Verizon continues to air the "There's A Map For That" ad campaign.
AT&T has since issued a response featuring actor Luke Wilson
, stating that AT&T covers 97% of Americans, although this is not entirely 3G coverage.
(FCC) confirmed that they were investigating so-called "mystery fees" that Verizon Wireless was charging their customers. The "mystery fees" were charged to customers who did not have data usage plans, but had devices capable of using data. These devices could access web-pages that were supposed to be free, and instead, they would incur charges. Verizon charged $1.99/MB to customers without data plans.
On October 28, 2010, the FCC announced that they had reached a settlement with Verizon. Verizon refunded a minimum of $52.8 million to 15 million customers. In addition to the refund Verizon Wireless provided relevant customer service training, information to consumers wanting refunds, and plain-language explanations of data charges.
In addition to the $52.8 million Verizon Wireless paid in refunds, they also made a $25 million payment to the U.S. Treasury. Verizon stated that the payment to the treasury was voluntary, and that they accepted responsibility for their errors. The payment to the treasury is the largest in history, followed by a $24 million fine that Univision paid in 2007.
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operator
Mobile network operator
A mobile network operator , also known as mobile phone operator , carrier service provider , wireless service provider, wireless carrier, or cellular company, or mobile network carrier is a telephone company that provides services for mobile phone subscribers.One essential...
s in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America.
Headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Basking Ridge, New Jersey
- Demographics :As Basking Ridge is not an independent municipality, the following demographic data is based on the United States Census Bureau figures for the ZIP Code Tabulation Area for the 07920 ZIP Code...
, the company is a joint venture of U.S. telecommunications firm Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
and UK multinational mobile network operator
Mobile network operator
A mobile network operator , also known as mobile phone operator , carrier service provider , wireless service provider, wireless carrier, or cellular company, or mobile network carrier is a telephone company that provides services for mobile phone subscribers.One essential...
Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
, with 55 and 45 percent ownership respectively. On January 9, 2009, Verizon Wireless acquired Alltel
Alltel
Alltel Corporation is a wireless service provider, primarily based in the United States. Before an acquisition by Verizon Wireless, it served 34 states. After the merger, Alltel continues to serve six states, mostly in rural areas...
Wireless in a deal valued at $28.1 billion. The acquisition expanded Verizon's wireless network.
History
NYNEX
NYNEX Corporation was a telephone company that served five New England states as well as most of New York state, except the Rochester area, from 1984 through 1997....
Mobile Communications, AirTouch
AirTouch
AirTouch Communications was a U.S.-based wireless telephone service provider, created as a spin-off on Pacific Telesis on April 1, 1994. Its headquarters were in One California in the Financial District, San Francisco, California...
Communications, PrimeCo
PrimeCo
PrimeCo Personal Communications, L.P. was a joint venture of Bell Atlantic and AirTouch Communications, and was the first wireless telecommunications provider to turn up CDMA service on the PCS band in late 1995. When the company was founded, it had its headquarters in Westlake, Texas...
Communications, and GTE
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
Mobilnet. Bell Atlantic Mobile and NYNEX Mobile Communications merged in 1995 to create Bell Atlantic – NYNEX Mobile, and in 1997 their namesake Baby Bell parents followed suit to form the new Bell Atlantic and their wireless subsidiary was renamed Bell Atlantic Mobile. Bell Atlantic Mobile and NYNEX Mobile Communications were created from Advanced Mobile Phone Service, Inc., which was a subsidiary of AT&T created in 1978 to provide cellular service nationwide. AMPS, Inc. was divided among the RBOCs as part of the Bell System Divestiture
Bell System divestiture
The Bell System divestiture, or the breakup of AT&T, was initiated by the filing in 1974 by the U.S. Department of Justice of an antitrust lawsuit against AT&T. The case, United States v...
.
Meanwhile, in June 1999, AirTouch Communications of San Francisco merged with UK-based Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
Group Plc, forming Vodafone AirTouch Plc. In September 1999, Vodafone AirTouch announced a $90-billion joint venture with Bell Atlantic Corp. to be called Verizon Wireless, and which would comprise the two companies' U.S. wireless assets: Bell Atlantic Mobile and AirTouch Paging. This wireless joint venture received regulatory approval in six months, and began operations as Verizon Wireless on April 4, 2000. On June 30, 2000, the addition of GTE Wireless' assets, in connection with the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE to form Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
, made Verizon Wireless the nation's largest wireless communications provider. Verizon held that position until Cingular's acquisition of AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., founded in 1987 as McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc., and now legally known as New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc., formerly part of AT&T Corp., is a wireless telephone carrier in the United States, based in Redmond, Washington, and later traded on the New York...
in 2004, and again after their acquisition of Alltel
Alltel
Alltel Corporation is a wireless service provider, primarily based in the United States. Before an acquisition by Verizon Wireless, it served 34 states. After the merger, Alltel continues to serve six states, mostly in rural areas...
in 2009. However, with the pending AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
acquisition of T-Mobile USA
T-Mobile USA
T-Mobile USA, Inc. is an American mobile-network operator, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. market with 33.73...
in place, Verizon could become the 2nd largest provider in the United States. For the joint venture, Verizon Communications owns 55%, which is held through its subsidiaries Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, Inc. and GTE Wireless, Inc., which hold 24.2% and 30.8% respectively, and UK-based Vodafone Group (formerly Vodafone AirTouch) owns 45% through its subsidiaries PCS Nucleus, L.P. and JV PartnerCo, LLC which owns 6.2% and 38.8% respectively. The name "Verizon," a portmanteau, is derived by combining the word "veritas," a Latin term that means "truth," and the word "horizon." Together, they are supposed to conjure images of reliability, certainty, leadership, and limitless possibilities. Verizon Wireless would mark the debut of the "Verizon" name; that name would pass on to the Bell Atlantic/ GTE merger on June 30, 2000 which would become known as "Verizon Communications".
Network
Verizon Wireless is one of two major U.S. carriers that use CDMACDMA2000
CDMA2000 is a family of 3G mobile technology standards, which use CDMA channel access, to send voice, data, and signaling data between mobile phones and cell sites. The set of standards includes: CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. A, and CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. B...
technology, the other being Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
. Alltel
Alltel
Alltel Corporation is a wireless service provider, primarily based in the United States. Before an acquisition by Verizon Wireless, it served 34 states. After the merger, Alltel continues to serve six states, mostly in rural areas...
also used CDMA before becoming part of Verizon Wireless. Other regional carriers that use CDMA are: U.S. Cellular
U.S. Cellular
United States Cellular Corporation, d.b.a. U.S. Cellular , owns and operates the sixth largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, behind Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, and Metro PCS. , they serve about 6.1 million customers in 126 markets in...
, Cricket
Cricket Communications
Cricket Communications, Inc. founded in 1999, also known as Cricket Wireless, provides wireless services to 7 million customers in the United States. The company is a subsidiary of Leap Wireless, utilizing its CDMA 1X and 1xEV-DO networks...
, and MetroPCS
MetroPCS
MetroPCS Communications, Inc. , formerly known as General Wireless, Inc., is an American mobile phone service provider. It operates the fifth largest mobile telecommunications network in the US, with 8.9 million subscribers as of May 2011...
(see List of United States mobile phone companies for more information). Verizon supports the 4 generations of CDMA (IS-95
IS-95
Interim Standard 95 is the first CDMA-based digital cellular standard by Qualcomm. The brand name for IS-95 is cdmaOne. IS-95 is also known as TIA-EIA-95....
, 1x, EV-DO
Evolution-Data Optimized
Evolution-Data Optimized or Evolution-Data only is a telecommunications standard for the wireless transmission of data through radio signals, typically for broadband Internet access...
, and e-HRPD) networks and now its newest 4G LTE service which was released on Sunday December 5, 2010 in many cities. At that time, 4G LTE service was only offered as a mobile broadband data option. 4G LTE-Compatible Verizon mobile phones were released in the first quarter of 2011.
Verizon Wireless invests $5.7 billion annually on average to maintain and expand its nationwide CDMA network. Verizon Wireless offers voice services as well as 3G data services such as wireless broadband based on EV-DO Rev A, text
Text messaging
Text messaging, or texting, refers to the exchange of brief written text messages between fixed-line phone or mobile phone and fixed or portable devices over a network...
and picture messaging, over-the-air downloadable applications and content from its "Media Center" ( previously called, Get-It-Now) service, Video on Demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
in the form of V CAST
V CAST
V CAST is a 3G EV-DO network created by Verizon Wireless to deliver audio, video, and entertainment content. The typical download speed is between 800 kilobits and 1.4 megabits per second with burst speeds of up to 3.1 megabits per second...
(which allows customers to download and view video content), location-based service
Location-based service
A Location-Based Service is an information or entertainment service, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device....
s, and Push-to-Talk.
On June 30, 2007, Verizon Wireless completed the overhaul of the entire EV-DO
Evolution-Data Optimized
Evolution-Data Optimized or Evolution-Data only is a telecommunications standard for the wireless transmission of data through radio signals, typically for broadband Internet access...
network to EV-DO Rev. A
Evolution-Data Optimized
Evolution-Data Optimized or Evolution-Data only is a telecommunications standard for the wireless transmission of data through radio signals, typically for broadband Internet access...
. This enables PC Card
PC Card
In computing, PC Card is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard was defined and developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association which itself was created by a number of computer industry companies in the United States...
s and certain phones to obtain theoretical peak download speeds of 3.1 Mbit/s and upload speeds of up to 1.8 Mbit/s. The actual download and upload speeds vary due to a number of factors, and users will typically see speeds close to 1 Mbit/s down, and 500 kbit/s up.
On November 27, 2007, Verizon Wireless announced plans to allow all cell phones compatible with their CDMA technology to run on their network. Users of such phones are also allowed to use any application they wish.
However, on September 20, 2007, Verizon Wireless announced a joint effort with the Vodafone Group to transition their networks to the 4G
4G
In telecommunications, 4G is the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards. It is a successor to the 3G and 2G families of standards. In 2009, the ITU-R organization specified the IMT-Advanced requirements for 4G standards, setting peak speed requirements for 4G service at 100 Mbit/s...
standard LTE
3GPP Long Term Evolution
3GPP Long Term Evolution, usually referred to as LTE, is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals. It is based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, increasing the capacity and speed using new modulation techniques...
and on November 29, 2007, Verizon Wireless announced that they would start LTE trials in 2008. On December 9, 2008, Verizon announced that they intend to build and begin to roll out an LTE
3GPP Long Term Evolution
3GPP Long Term Evolution, usually referred to as LTE, is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals. It is based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, increasing the capacity and speed using new modulation techniques...
network, by the beginning of 2011. Adopting LTE would make for a gradual shift away from Verizon Wireless’ current use of CDMA technology because it is a completely different platform, but would offer increased operability for users traveling worldwide.
On January 25, 2009, Verizon Wireless released its first Femtocell
Femtocell
In telecommunications, a femtocell is a small cellular base station, typically designed for use in a home or small business. It connects to the service provider’s network via broadband ; current designs typically support 2 to 4 active mobile phones in a residential setting, and 8 to 16 active...
called the Verizon Wireless Network Extender.
Verizon claims to operate "America's Largest and Most Reliable Wireless Network," covering approximately 290 million people.
On December 5, 2010 Verizon Wireless launched its “4G LTE" network. In an announcement made on January 6, 2011, from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless stated in the first half of 2011 they will release: 10 new LTE devices including, five smartphones, two tablets, two netbooks, and two MiFi hotspots.
Advertising
In 2000, Verizon Wireless advertised they were, for a time, the largest cellular networkCellular network
A cellular network is a radio network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver known as a cell site or base station. When joined together these cells provide radio coverage over a wide geographic area...
in the country by showing people using cell phones and then gesturing with two fingers, much like the World War II-era "V for Victory
V sign
The V sign is a hand gesture in which the index and middle fingers are raised and parted, while the other fingers are clenched. It has various meanings, depending on the cultural context and how it is presented...
" sign, to show that the person was on the Verizon ("V" or "iN") network. The slogan for Verizon Wireless at that time was "Join in." (Reminiscent of the slogan "Join in" was used in their marketing scheme up to this day. i.e., "iN-calling," "iN-messaging," and even the toll-free number "1-800-2-JOIN-IN.").
Later, Verizon adopted the slogan "We never stop working for you," with commercials (starting in 2002) depicting a Verizon employee roaming about in strange places continuously asking, "Can you hear me now? Good." (The "employee" is played by stage actor Paul Marcarelli
Paul Marcarelli
Paul Marcarelli is an American actor best known as the "Test Man" or "The Verizon Guy" character in commercials for Verizon Wireless. He appeared in all of his Verizon commercials wearing a gray Verizon jacket and his own horn-rimmed glasses until 2010...
) The "test man" represents Verizon test technicians.
In 2005, Verizon Wireless added an "army" of network engineers into their commercials in conjunction with the "test man" and introduced the slogan "It's the Network." to emphasize their network quality. (Verizon Wireless still uses the slogan "We never stop working for you." from time to time – especially on their website, toll-free number, and shopping bags.)
In 2008, Verizon Wireless sponsored Korean pop sensation Se7en further helping Se7en trademark his name in America and promote his U.S. debut single that was released in spring 2009.
Also in 2008, Verizon Wireless began a new television advertising campaign, with parodies of horror movies (including The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
), with people trying to scare a main character with tales of a Dead Zone where calls cannot be made, who calmly responds that he or she has Verizon, and then the slogan appears, "Don't be afraid of Dead Zones."
In early 2009, Verizon Wireless officially dropped the "IN" campaign. Previously, calls between two Verizon Wireless subscribers were referred to as IN calling, but will now be referred to as Mobile-to-Mobile calling. With this change, Verizon Wireless also renamed their prepaid service Verizon Wireless Prepaid from iNPulse to Prepay.
In mid-2009, when the markets Verizon acquired from Alltel began to transition to the Verizon Wireless brand, web ads began to appear showing the test man with Chad, the Alltel salesman character that has appeared on Alltel commercials for the past five years.
Late in 2009, Verizon began ads that made use of the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
"There's an app
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
for that" slogan, changing it to "There's a map for that" (see below). They began with maps showing large areas of the United States covered in red to represent Verizon's 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
service, with very limited areas in blue to show 3G service for AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, which at the time was required to use the full capabilities of the iPhone.
The ads progressively got more aggressive, including one where the iPhone was placed on the Island of Misfit Toys.
In 2010 Verizon launched its latest advertising campaign creating the new tagline "Rule The Air." The campaign boasts Verizon's allegedly superior ability to "send a strong signal" and early advertisements heavily feature Verizon's range of Android powered smartphones.
In 2011, Paul Marcarelli reprised his role as the Verizon test man to promote the Verizon iPhone 4
IPhone 4
The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen slate smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fourth generation iPhone, and successor to the iPhone 3GS. It is particularly marketed for video calling , consumption of media such as books and periodicals, movies, music, and games, and for general web and e-mail...
, slamming AT&T's network when he answers a phone call using the iPhone with, "Yes, I can hear you now."
2004
- Best Wireless Product – Wireless Systems Design, February 11, 2004
- Highest Customer Service Quality Rating – RCR Wireless News, January 21, 2004
- Carrier of the Year – Wireless Week, March 22, 2004
- Best Place to Work in IT – ComputerWorld, June 14, 2004
- Best Overall Carrier – Laptop Magazine, May 2004
- 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers – Working Mother, October 2004
- Reader's Choice – PC MagazinePC MagazinePC Magazine is a computer magazine published by Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009...
, November 29, 2004
2005
- Gold Well Workplace – The Wellness Councils of America, September 2005
- Top 125 Training Organizations in America – Training Magazine
- 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers – Working Mother Magazine
2006
- Carrier of the Year – Wireless Week, April 1, 2006
- Best Place to Work in IT – ComputerworldComputerworldComputerworld is an IT magazine that provides information for senior IT leaders. It is published in many countries around the world under the same or similar names. Its publisher is International Data Group. Computerworld serves the needs of IT management via print and online...
, June 19, 2006 - Tops For Diversity – DiversityBusiness.com, March 30, 2006
- Training Top 100 – Training Magazine, March 2006
- Best Wireless Service Provider In The World – Business Traveler, December 4, 2006
- 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers – Working Mother Magazine, September 2006
- Most Reliable and Responsive Web Site – The Keynote Service Level Rankings Study, September 14, 2006
- Highest Ranked Wireless Customer Service Performance (in a Tie) – J.D. Power and Associates, July 26, 2006
- Top Honors For Online Customer Experience – The Customer Respect Group, July 21, 2006
- Highest In Customer Satisfaction With Business Wireless Service – J.D. Power and Associates, May 17, 2006
- Leading In Customer Satisfaction – ACSI, May 16, 2006
- Highest Overall Satisfaction Among Wireless Telephone Users In Mid-Atlantic, West, Northeast, Southeast and North Central Region (all in a Tie) – J.D. Power and Associates, April 19, 2006
- 1st In Diversity – DiversityInc, April 18, 2006
- Highest Call Quality Performance Among Wireless Cell Phone Users In Northeast Region in a Tie, Mid-Atlantic Region and Southeast Region – J.D. Power and Associates, March 16, 2006
2007
- Carrier Of The Year – Wireless Week, April 1, 2007
- Tops In Customer Satisfaction – Vocal Laboratories, October 23, 2007
- 25 Companies That Are Good for the World and Your Wallet – CareerBuilder.com, September 24, 2007
- 100 Best Company for Working Mothers – Working Mother, September 2007
- Health & Wellness Trailblazer – Alliance for Workplace Excellence, June 26, 2007
- Best Place To Work In IT – Computerworld, June 19, 2007
- Leading In Customer Satisfaction – ACSI, May 15, 2007
- Top 125 Training Organizations in America – Training Magazine, March 2, 2007
- Top Corporation For Diversity – DiversityBusiness.com, January 22, 2007
2008
- Top 125 Training Organizations in America – Training Magazine, February 2008
- Top Green-IT Companies for 2008 – Computerworld, February 15, 2008
- Carrier Of The Year – Wireless Week, April 2008
Content delivery systems
Overview
Get It Now is Verizon Wireless' implementation of QualcommQualcomm
Qualcomm is an American global telecommunication corporation that designs, manufactures and markets digital wireless telecommunications products and services based on its code division multiple access technology and other technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA...
's BREW technology, allowing a user to download and use applications on a Verizon Wireless Get It Now-enabled phone. It is a proprietary interface to download ringtones, music, games, applications, and use instant messaging
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
on a phone. Users usually are unable to load content on the Verizon Wireless phones outside of Get It Now system; this is done for financial reasons. Verizon Wireless has exclusivity agreements with its Get It Now content providers (this is a walled garden
Walled garden (media)
A walled garden is an analogy used in various senses in information technology. In the telecommunications and media industries, a "walled garden" refers to a carrier or service provider's control over applications, content, and media on platforms and restriction of convenient access to...
system). Sometimes cell phone enthusiasts perform unsupported modifications to their phones or use 3rd-party software to make the phone accept non- Get It Now -originated content, or use free services that send ring tones through picture messaging, like Mobile17
Mobile17
Mobile17 is a Boston, Massachusetts-based website that allows users to create custom ringtones for a wide variety of mobile devices.-History:The service originated as a popular website called smashTheTONES which soon evolved into Mobile17.com...
. In 2008 Verizon Wireless announced that their "Get It Now" service will be renamed "Media Center" on all their future phones beginning with the LG EnV2.
On March 25, 2011, Verizon sent a software update to Get It Now to users of some older phones. If the phone was not activated at that time, or had a data block, the phone did not receive the required update to continue Get It Now functionality. Phone models known to be affected include the LG VX8100, LG VX8300 and LG VX9100 series. Subscribers with these phones can no longer acquire applications, update applications and software or access Backup Assistant from their phones unless they visit a Verizon Wireless Retail Store and have the phone flashed with the update.
All applications through Get It Now/Media Center are BREW-based and the selection differs depending on what Verizon phone one is using.
Many first-time mobile phone users freely access the internet through internet-capable phones ("Mobile Web"), only to find that a sizable charge has been added to their phone bill at month's end. Verizon currently charges $1.99 USD per megabyte (in 2009) downloaded into the phone from the internet. This is called "Megabyte Usage" or "Data Usage". Whenever anyone accesses the internet, the charge is incurred, because in order to access the web, web pages must be downloaded into the phone for viewing. New customers are often confused on what activities incur a charge and which activities do not. Visiting 50 web pages is a download of .3 MB. A visit to Media Center/Get It Now page incurs a charge, even if nothing is bought/downloaded. Music, games or ringtones downloads incurs the MB charge, but Picture/Video messaging (MMS) does not charge. Whenever data is being downloaded into the phone, a little phone icon with arrows going back and forth appears. Blocks can be set by account owner to block specific types of downloads. If a specific type of unlimited download is included in the customer's plan, then the customer is charged a flat fee per month instead of per MB.http://community.vzw.com/vrzn/attachments/vrzn/Messaging/3168/1/MB%20Billing%20Matrix.pdfhttp://community.vzw.com/vrzn/board/message?board.id=Messaging&thread.id=3107
VZ Navigator
Within Get It Now, Verizon has implemented a aGPS navigation application, VZ Navigator, that works for the most part like a standalone aGPS unit. Users can also locate businesses within their vicinity, searching by category or business name. Users can type in addresses and receive turn by turn directionsTurn-by-turn navigation
Turn-by-turn navigation is a feature of some GPS navigation devices where directions for a selected route are continually presented to the user in the form of spoken and visual instructions. The system keeps the user up-to-date about the best route to the destination, and is often updated according...
to their destination.
V CAST
Also within Get It Now/Media Center is V CAST, Verizon Wireless' high-speed audio, video on demandVideo on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
, and entertainment delivery system.
V CAST Mobile TV
Verizon Wireless uses Qualcomm's MediaFLO technology to broadcast live TV to certain phones, such as the LG Voyager. A VCAST mobile TV subscription is required. This service was discontinued in November 2010.V Cast Music with RHAPSODY
A subscription based service which allows access for $9.99 per month for unlimited song downloads to a person's computer using the VCAST with Rhapsody software. This program also allows the user to sync the music with up to three different media devices examples (mobile phones and mp3 players). The user has to authorize these devices through the VCast with Rhapsody software in order to sync the music. However if the consumer wants to move the music from a digital medium to a physical medium example (compact disc) the consumer will need to pay $.99 per song in order to move it to that physical medium.Backup Assistant
Backup Assistant is a white label productWhite label product
A white label product or service is a product or service produced by one company that other companies rebrand to make it appear as if they made it.-History:...
that backs up the mobile address books of Verizon Wireless subscribers. The contacts are stored on My Verizon and can be edited and migrated to a new device if needed. However, on March 25, 2011, Verizon discontinued offering Get It Now to users of some older phones. Subscribers with these phones can no longer access Backup Assistant from their phones. Backup Assistant is free for Verizon Wireless customers. The technology for Backup Assistant is provided by Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. In February 2010, Backup Assistant became free to all VZW subscribers.
"Friends & Family"
On February 16, 2009, Verizon Wireless launched its new service, called Friends & Family, in light of their recent acquisition of Alltel Wireless, which had a similar service called My Circle. With an eligible plan, customers will have unlimited calling to a select group of numbers outside their standard mobile-to-mobile calling group, including landlines. This will give single line accounts up to 5 numbers to choose from on plans with 900 or more minutes, and family plan accounts up to 10 numbers to choose from on plans with 1,400 or more minutes.Effective July 13, 2009, OnStar and Verizon Wireless stopped accepting any new customers on this program.
This decision does not affect those OnStar customers who already are enrolled in the Verizon Wireless shared minute program. Although the shared minute program has been discontinued, OnStar customers can still use OnStar’s voice-activated Hands-Free Calling by purchasing minutes from OnStar.
Home Phone Connect
In February 2011, Verizon Wireless rolled out "Home Phone Connect". This wireless local loopWireless local loop
Wireless local loop , is a term for the use of a wireless communications link as the "last mile / first mile" connection for delivering plain old telephone service and/or broadband Internet to telecommunications customers....
service competes directly with landline
Landline
A landline was originally an overland telegraph wire, as opposed to an undersea cable. Currently, landline refers to a telephone line which travels through a solid medium, either metal wire or optical fibre, as distinguished from a mobile cellular line, where transmission is via radio waves...
services from local carriers and offers unlimited US calling for $19.99/month plus taxes and surcharges. Although the Verizon Wireless Network is used to carry signal to and from the residence where the service is installed, subscribers use their home phones rather than a mobile handset to make and receive calls. The device which interfaces between the Verizon network and home phones is identical in function to the devices called ATA
ATA
ATA or Ata may refer to:* Ata , people with the first name or family name-Education:* Ashcroft Technology Academy, Wandsworth, London, England* Advanced Technologies Academy, a high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA...
s which VoIP providers like Vonage
Vonage
Vonage is a publicly held commercial voice over IP network and SIP company that provides telephone service via a broadband connection. The company's name is a play on their motto "Voice-Over-Net-AGE"....
use as an interface between the Internet and phones. Verizon Wireless promotes the fact that no Internet connection is required and supplies the interface device for $29.99 with a two year contract or charges $129.99 on a month-to-month plan.
The device supplied by Verizon Wireless includes battery backup so that, like a PSTN line, it will continue to function during a power outage. It also has a GPS so that accurate location information can be provided on a 911 call.
The service is not compatible with satellite TV DVRs, medical monitoring devices, fax machines, and most wired home monitoring systems. Wireless security systems, however, circumvent the need for a landline connection and are therefore unaffected by the switch to Verizon's device.
A variant of the service is available for a $9.99/month plus taxes and surcharges. This is essentially an extra line on an existing Verizon Wireless mobile phone plan and does not include unlimited calling.
Partnerships
Main article: Claro Puerto RicoThe Claro
Claro (mobile phone network)
Claro is the largest mobile phone network in the Americas. It is part of the Mexican telecom group América Móvil which is one of the four largest mobile phone network operators in the world, with more than 200 million customers...
brand ("claro" being Spanish for "Sure or Clear") was launched in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
on May 18, 2007 as rebranding the Verizon Wireless trademark, after Verizon International sold its stake in Puerto Rico Telephone Co. (PRTC). Claro is the wireless arm of PRTC, which serves wireline telephone and data services in the island. The brand was introduced to the wireless
Wireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
segment after March 30, 2007 acquisition of the telecom by América Móvil
América Móvil
América Móvil is a Mexican telecommunication company headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. It is the fourth largest mobile network operator in terms of equity subscribers, one of the largest corporations in Latin America, and the world. America Movil is a Fortune 500 company...
.
The company has made public its plans to launch a GSM/UMTS network parallel to the CDMA/EvDO network it operates since 2002. Claro has mobile voice and data services in Puerto Rico's 78 cities and towns and its coverage is constantly expanding, the company says.
Verizon Wireless still offers voice coverage in Puerto Rico by roaming on the Claro network. On America's Choice II and Nationwide calling plans, usage on this network is included at no cost (considered Extended Network) but on any other plan it costs $.69 per min.
Starting May 1, 2009, due to an agreement with the CDMA company "Iusacell", Verizon Wireless offers the Nationwide + Mexico calling plans. These plans allow users to call Mexico as part of their regular minutes. Users who travel can also roam into Mexico at no additional charge.
On August 17, 2009 Verizon began their work with Catalyst Communications Technologies. Catalyst integrated Verizon Wireless Push-to-Talk service with traditional Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Systems. This allowed for greater RoIP
ROIP
Radio over Internet Protocol, or RoIP, is similar to VoIP, but augments two-way radio communications rather than telephone calls. From the system point of view, it is essentially VoIP with PTT . To the user it can be implemented like any other radio network...
. This advanced solution dynamically routes Push-to-Talk voice on the Verizon Wireless nationwide network and calls placed on private radio systems and connects the two together. The new solution routes push-to-talk voice and calls placed on private radio systems on the Verizon Wireless nationwide network. The Catalyst IP|Console provides dispatch
Dispatch
Dispatch or dispatches may refer to:In literature* Dispatches , a 1977 book by Michael Herr about the Vietnam War* dispatches , a magazine edited by Gary Knight and Mort RosenblumIn radio and television...
of Verizon Wireless push-to-talk calls as well as legacy Land Mobile Radio calls. The solution is designed for public safety
Public Safety
Public safety involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters .-See also:* By nation...
, transportation, energy, federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
and other critical communications agencies.
On October 14, 2010 Apple Inc. and Verizon Wireless announced a partnership that would bring the Apple iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
to Verizon Wireless Stores across the United States on October 28, 2010. While the collaboration will not see Verizon compatible technology embedded in the iPad, it will bundle the iPad Wi-Fi with a Verizon MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot.
On January 5, 2011, at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless demonstrated the Onsight mobile collaboration system by Librestream
Librestream
Librestream Technologies Inc. is a privately-owned, venture capital backed company based in Winnipeg, Canada. Librestream provides technologies that enable mobile enterprise collaboration....
using the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. The system allows field workers to stream high resolution video, speak, and draw onscreen with remote workers, extending the power of mobile collaboration
Mobile collaboration
Mobile collaboration is a technology-based process of communicating utilizing electronic assets and accompanying software designed for use in remote locations...
to locations previously difficult to reach.
On January 11, 2011, Verizon announced during a media event that it had reached an agreement with Apple Inc. and would begin selling a CDMA
CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is a family of 3G mobile technology standards, which use CDMA channel access, to send voice, data, and signaling data between mobile phones and cell sites. The set of standards includes: CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. 0, CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. A, and CDMA2000 EV-DO Rev. B...
iPhone 4
IPhone 4
The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen slate smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fourth generation iPhone, and successor to the iPhone 3GS. It is particularly marketed for video calling , consumption of media such as books and periodicals, movies, music, and games, and for general web and e-mail...
. The Verizon iPhone 4 went on sale on February 10, 2011.
It includes features such as 'Mobile Hotspot', which allows a user to use the iPhone as a wireless hotspot
Hotspot (Wi-Fi)
A hotspot is a site that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider...
, with up to 5 devices connecting at one time. It also has a new antennae that is said to solve the 'death grip', which means that holding the iPhone 4 in a certain way would deplete its signal rapidly. Due to the minor 2-mm downward movement of the volume buttons, cases were adapted to specifically fit the Verizon iPhone.
Competitors
Some of Verizon Wireless' primary competitors include:- AT&T
- Sprint NextelSprint NextelSprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
(including Boost MobileBoost MobileBoost Mobile is a brand of wireless prepay service run by Sprint Nextel, operating within the Sprint Prepaid Group along with Virgin Mobile USA, Assurance Wireless, and payLo by Virgin Mobile. Boost Mobile uses GSMand iDEN networks...
and Virgin MobileVirgin MobileVirgin Mobile is a brand used by many mobile phone service providers across the globe; its headquarters are based in the United Kingdom. Virgin Mobile has local operations in Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, Greece, United Kingdom and the United States. It briefly also had operations...
) - T-Mobile USAT-Mobile USAT-Mobile USA, Inc. is an American mobile-network operator, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. market with 33.73...
(Awaiting regulatory approval for potential AT&TAT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
buyout.) - U.S. CellularU.S. CellularUnited States Cellular Corporation, d.b.a. U.S. Cellular , owns and operates the sixth largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, behind Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, and Metro PCS. , they serve about 6.1 million customers in 126 markets in...
- MetroPCSMetroPCSMetroPCS Communications, Inc. , formerly known as General Wireless, Inc., is an American mobile phone service provider. It operates the fifth largest mobile telecommunications network in the US, with 8.9 million subscribers as of May 2011...
- Leap WirelessLeap WirelessLeap Wireless International, Inc. is an American public telecommunications company that provides wireless services through its subsidiary, Cricket Communications...
(including Cricket CommunicationsCricket CommunicationsCricket Communications, Inc. founded in 1999, also known as Cricket Wireless, provides wireless services to 7 million customers in the United States. The company is a subsidiary of Leap Wireless, utilizing its CDMA 1X and 1xEV-DO networks...
and Jump MobileJump MobileJump Mobile was a mobile cellular communications brand and subsidiary of United States based Leap Wireless International, Inc. From its inception in 2005, Jump Mobile grew to offer pre-paid wireless services customers in 25 states...
) - Revol Wireless
- AlltelAlltelAlltel Corporation is a wireless service provider, primarily based in the United States. Before an acquisition by Verizon Wireless, it served 34 states. After the merger, Alltel continues to serve six states, mostly in rural areas...
- Merged w/ Verizon - no longer a competitor in most markets
GPS disabling of certain devices
Verizon no longer restricts or disables GPS Chips in their phones. However, in previous years, Verizon had a history of restricting GPS functionality on many of the devices that they sell. On November 30, 2007 Verizon Wireless was named in a class action lawsuit alleging that the company deceived customers by advertising that the devices were "GPS Enabled." Upon purchase, the suit alleges that Verizon intentionally disabled the devices' free, built-in global positioning systems (GPS) then offered a proprietary Verizon fee-for-service GPS.Since this dispute, all smartphones sold on the Verizon network have their GPS receivers unlocked by default. Select older devices can be unlocked with a firmware upgrade. Phone hackers were able to restore GPS access to some older models which did not receive firmware updates. Access to aGPS
Assisted GPS
Assisted GPS, generally abbreviated as A-GPS or aGPS, is a system which can, under certain conditions, improve the startup performance, or time-to-first-fix of a GPS satellite-based positioning system. It is used extensively with GPS-capable cellular phones as its development was accelerated by...
, however, remains locked on some smart phones, notably the Palm Pre Plus, which requires a GPS in order to operate as a Standalone GPS like Verizon claims it will do.
Bluetooth capability
Today, Verizon no longer restricts any bluetooth settings or capabilities. However, at one point Verizon did lock out some bluetooth options. Verizon advertised the Motorola V710 as having full BluetoothBluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
capability, when in reality it had no OBEX
OBEX
OBEX is a communications protocol that facilitates the exchange of binary objects between devices. It is maintained by the Infrared Data Association but has also been adopted by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group and the SyncML wing of the Open Mobile Alliance...
or OPP functions built in. After many complaints, a class action suit was filed for false advertising, not only for advertising missing capabilities, but also for telling customers who complained to Verizon that an update was coming out "in November." The lawsuit was initiated in January 2005 and settlement decision became final on March 20, 2006, with Verizon offering to qualified members of the class action suit (purchased a V710 BEFORE February 2, 2005) a $25 credit to all of its V710 customers, or the option to trade in the V710 for $200 or original purchase price and allow them to keep their phone number and service, or $200 or original purchase price and allow them to break their contract and discontinue service with Verizon. The settlement to the lawsuit did not directly address the V710's restrictions. The same hardware crippling exists with Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
's successor to the V710, the E815, but unlike the V710, the E815 was marked clearly that OBEX and OPP was disabled. Additionally, through a SEEM
Serially Electrically Erasable Memory
Serially Electrically Erasable Memory, commonly abbreviated SEEM or NVSEEM , is a mobile phone industry term for EEPROM devices contained within mobile phones, containing phone programming information. Some mobile phone owners change SEEM information on their own phones, changes known in the...
edit, OBEX could be enabled on the 815, but not on the 710 (the Verizon e815 lacks the OPP profile altogether).
OBEX and OPP was disabled on the majority of Verizon's handsets. This prevents phone to phone transfers through bluetooth. The reasoning given by Verizon is to prevent lawsuits involving the use of bluetooth to transfer licensed or copyrighted materials.
MP3 restrictions
In previous years, Verizon Wireless had removed the ability to use MP3s as ringtones for some phones. This included blocking the feature in firmware updates for the Motorola V710 and several other newer phones for ringtone transfers, making it more difficult – but not impossible – to transfer MP3s from the phone's microSD card at that time. This update also disabled editing of the homepage field in WebSessions, making it more difficult to use alternate WAPWireless Application Protocol
Wireless Application Protocol is a technical standard for accessing information over a mobile wireless network.A WAP browser is a web browser for mobile devices such as mobile phones that uses the protocol.Before the introduction of WAP, mobile service providers had limited opportunities to offer...
gateways. One result of this crippling has been a prominent network of "unofficial" web sites, documenting how to enable, access, or use hidden or crippled features.
Today, nearly all Verizon Wireless phones can save an MP3 as a ringtone, simply by Picture messaging or e-mailing the file as an attachment.
Mobile Broadband plans
Verizon Wireless had come under fire by "power users" of its EV-DO wireless data network (called Mobile Broadband, formerly BroadbandAccess), for using language in its terms of service which heavily restricts what activities an EV-DO user can conduct even though the service is advertised as offering "Unlimited" data usage. The service was in fact limited to 5 GB of data transfer per month (as part of a fair use policy). The language in Verizon Wireless' previous usage agreement stated:Unlimited NationalAccess/BroadbandAccess services cannot be used (1) for uploading, downloading or streaming of movies, music or games, (2) with server devices or with host computer applications, including, but not limited to, Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, Voice over IP (VoIP), automated machine-to-machine connections, or peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, or (3) as a substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections... We reserve right to limit throughput or amount of data transferred, deny or terminate service, without notice, to anyone we believe is using NationalAccess or BroadbandAccess in any manner prohibited above or whose usage adversely impacts our network or service levels.Under these terms, customers will have to pay five cents per additional Megabyte (MB) using more than 5 GBs per month.
Kelsey Smith cell phone records
On June 2, 2007, Kelsey SmithMurder of Kelsey Smith
Kelsey Ann Smith was an Overland Park, Kansas teenager who disappeared on June 2nd, 2007 and was murdered that evening. The story was featured in the international media, including on , before her body was found near a lake in Missouri on June 6, 2007.-Overview:Smith was last seen at 7:09 p.m...
, a teenager from Overland Park, Kansas
Overland Park, Kansas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
, was abducted in a Target parking lot behind the Oak Park Mall
Oak Park Mall
Oak Park Mall is a super-regional shopping mall located in Overland Park, Kansas, containing 200 stores in a covered area of . It is the largest mall in the Kansas City Metro Area as well as the entire state of Kansas, and is split into two levels and contains five department stores.It was...
. She was murdered later that night, and immediately after an abandoned car was found, a search began for her. Local law enforcement involved in the investigation contacted Verizon Wireless, the family's cell phone provider at the time of the murder, for records to pinpoint a search location for her. Despite efforts made by the local investigators and eventually the FBI, it took Verizon three days to hand over cell phone records to law enforcement. A Verizon technician pinpointed a cell phone tower and told investigators to search 1.1 miles (1.8 km) north of the tower. Within 45 minutes, the body of Kelsey Smith was found.
"There's A Map For That"
In late 2009, Verizon started an ad campaign "There's A Map For That," to parody the iPhone's "There is an app for that" and the AT&TAT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
network coverage. Since iPhones used AT&T, and maps used in the commercials claimed Verizon had five times the 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
coverage of AT&T, iPhones were not as useful as they could be with Verizon's 3G coverage. This campaign was followed by new "iDon't" ads for Droid
Motorola Droid
The Motorola Droid is an Internet and multimedia enabled smartphone designed by Motorola, which runs Google's Android operating system. The Droid had been publicized under the codenames Sholes and Tao and the model number A855...
phones which pointed out that Droids could do more than the iPhone could do. In November, AT&T filed a lawsuit against Verizon stating that they reach the same number of customers as Verizon Wireless, and claiming the ads were "misleading" and caused a loss of "incalculable market share." The ads only refer to 3G, and not overall coverage. However, the ads claim that many people outside urban areas may not receive 3G, in an industry where 4G may soon be the premium standard. Verizon has edited their ads, removing "out of touch" and adding in small print, "Voice and data services available outside of 3G areas." AT&T still does not agree with the ads, stating in their response, "The ads still confuse non-technical viewers into thinking AT&T provides no service at all outside of its 3G coverage." Verizon responded as follows: "AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon’s 'There’s A Map For That' advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon’s ads are true and the truth hurts." AT&T was defeated and Verizon continues to air the "There's A Map For That" ad campaign.
AT&T has since issued a response featuring actor Luke Wilson
Luke Wilson
Luke Cunningham Wilson is an American film actor known for his roles in Old School, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde, Idiocracy and Death at a Funeral.-Early life:...
, stating that AT&T covers 97% of Americans, although this is not entirely 3G coverage.
Refunds for billing errors
On October 3, 2010, the U.S. Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) confirmed that they were investigating so-called "mystery fees" that Verizon Wireless was charging their customers. The "mystery fees" were charged to customers who did not have data usage plans, but had devices capable of using data. These devices could access web-pages that were supposed to be free, and instead, they would incur charges. Verizon charged $1.99/MB to customers without data plans.
On October 28, 2010, the FCC announced that they had reached a settlement with Verizon. Verizon refunded a minimum of $52.8 million to 15 million customers. In addition to the refund Verizon Wireless provided relevant customer service training, information to consumers wanting refunds, and plain-language explanations of data charges.
In addition to the $52.8 million Verizon Wireless paid in refunds, they also made a $25 million payment to the U.S. Treasury. Verizon stated that the payment to the treasury was voluntary, and that they accepted responsibility for their errors. The payment to the treasury is the largest in history, followed by a $24 million fine that Univision paid in 2007.
Acquisitions and divestments
- At the end of 2006, Verizon Wireless bought out West Virginia Wireless, a regional GSM cell phone company.
- On July 30, 2007, Rural Cellular CorporationUnicelUnicel was a brand of mobile phone service from Rural Cellular Corporation. Service was provided in northern Minnesota, northern New England, Mississippi, Alabama, eastern Washington and Oregon, and adjacent areas. The company was headquartered in Alexandria, Minnesota. Until 2005, RCC also...
(UnicelUnicelUnicel was a brand of mobile phone service from Rural Cellular Corporation. Service was provided in northern Minnesota, northern New England, Mississippi, Alabama, eastern Washington and Oregon, and adjacent areas. The company was headquartered in Alexandria, Minnesota. Until 2005, RCC also...
) announced it agreed to be acquired by Verizon Wireless (a CDMA carrier). Verizon said that it plans to convert RCC's GSM customers to CDMA technology, but it will continue to operate RCC's current GSM network in order to generate roaming revenue. The sale is expected to close in early 2008, pending approvals from the FCC and potentially the Department of Justice, to ensure that the acquisition won't be anti-competitive in some geographic areas. On October 4, 2007, Rural Cellular Corporation Shareholders Approve Merger Agreement with Verizon Wireless "ALEXANDRIA, Minn., October 4, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) – Rural Cellular Corporation ("RCC" or "the Company") (NASDAQ:RCCC) today announced that its shareholders voted to approve the merger agreement providing for the acquisition of Rural Cellular Corporation by Verizon Wireless for approximately $2.67 billion in cash and assumed debt."- In November 2007, a few Rural Cellular (Unicel) Subscribers mounted an effort to stop this sale of Unicel because "Cell Phone Service Will Change" and "GSM Service Will End".
- On August 1, 2008, the FCC voted to approve the deal. Per the Department of Justice, Verizon will divest certain properties in New York, Vermont, and Washington in order to complete the acquisition.
- In mid 2007, Ramcell of Oregon made a deal to sell its assets to Verizon Wireless, Integration of local company to increase coverage area in Southern Oregon began in late 2007.
- On January 22, 2008 SureWestSurewestSureWest is a Roseville, CA based telecommunications company, servicing the Greater Sacramento Valley and Kansas City region markets. SureWest was founded in 1914 by William Doyle as the Roseville Telephone Company - SureWest became the official name in 2003...
Communications announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the operating assets of its Wireless business to Verizon Wireless. - On June 5, 2008, Verizon Wireless announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire AlltelAlltelAlltel Corporation is a wireless service provider, primarily based in the United States. Before an acquisition by Verizon Wireless, it served 34 states. After the merger, Alltel continues to serve six states, mostly in rural areas...
for US$5.9 billion, plus the assumption of debt, in a deal that will create the biggest mobile phone company in the U.S. surpassing AT&T. Based on Alltel's projected net debt at closing of $22.2 billion, the aggregate value of the deal is $28.1 billion. The FCC approved Verizon's purchase of Alltel Wireless by a vote of 5–0 on November 4, 2008. The FTC approved of the acquisition on December 10, 2008. On January 9, this deal was finalized, making Verizon Wireless the largest carrier in the country. - November 2008 Verizon Wireless purchased 2 markets in Kentucky formerly belonging to Dobson Communications from Att. This purchase closed the I75 corridor from Lexington, KY to Tennessee in which Verizon was lacking service. It also added about 40,000 customers to the Verizon wireless network.
- On May 8, 2009, AT&TAT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
announced an agreement to sell five Centennial Wireless service areas in Louisiana and Mississippi to Verizon Wireless, pending upon FCC approval of AT&T's acquisition of Centennial. - Also on May 8, 2009 AT&T announced a definitive agreement to acquire wireless assets from Verizon Wireless for $2.35 billion in cash. Under terms of the agreement, AT&T will acquire wireless properties, including licenses, network assets and 1.5 million current subscribers in 79 service areas, primarily in rural areas across 18 states. Verizon Wireless is required to divest these properties as part of the regulatory approvals granted for its purchase of Alltel earlier this year. The states represented are: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=26803
See also
- AT&T Mobility
- Sprint NextelSprint NextelSprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
- T-Mobile USAT-Mobile USAT-Mobile USA, Inc. is an American mobile-network operator, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, that provides wireless voice, messaging and data services in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company is the fourth-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. market with 33.73...
- TracFone
- LibrestreamLibrestreamLibrestream Technologies Inc. is a privately-owned, venture capital backed company based in Winnipeg, Canada. Librestream provides technologies that enable mobile enterprise collaboration....
- Venturi Transport ProtocolVenturi Transport ProtocolVenturi Transport Protocol is a patented proprietary transport layer protocol that is designed to transparently replace TCP in order to overcome inefficiencies in the design of TCP related to wireless data transport...
- MetroPCSMetroPCSMetroPCS Communications, Inc. , formerly known as General Wireless, Inc., is an American mobile phone service provider. It operates the fifth largest mobile telecommunications network in the US, with 8.9 million subscribers as of May 2011...
- Cricket Wireless
- US Cellular
- Page Plus CellularPage Plus CellularPage Plus Cellular is a vendor of prepaid wireless services in the United States. They are a Mobile Virtual Network Operator using the Verizon Wireless network....
- Jitterbug WirelessJitterbug WirelessGreatCall Wireless, is an American mobile virtual network operator founded by industry veterans of wireless history in 2006 and based in Del Mar, California. The brand name “Jitterbug” refers to the handsets. The wireless service that GreatCall provides, operates on the Verizon Network...