Verizon Wireless announced that the USB760™ Micro Modem is available in business sales channels beginning today. Developed by Novatel Wireless (NASDAQ: NVTL), a leading provider of wireless broadband solutions, the USB760 gives customers a powerful, pocket-sized wireless broadband modem that runs on Verizon Wireless’ high-speed network, which uses Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) technology. The USB760 will be available for order in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on Dec. 1.
Customers can use the included VZAccess Manager™ software on the USB760 for easy connection management and automatic installation on Windows® and Mac systems without the need to install software from a CD. Measuring just more than two inches long and weighing less than an ounce, the USB760 is designed to be extremely durable, and combines a variety of innovative features into its tiny package, including an integrated microSD™ slot, allowing for the seamless storage and transport of up to 8 GB of files, photos or videos on a removable SD storage card (sold separately). Designed to work with any laptop, tablet PC or desktop running Windows, Mac or Linux operating systems and equipped with a Type-A USB port, the USB760 features an internal advanced dual-band diversity antenna, as well as an optional external antenna for enhanced performance on the fringe areas of networks and in highly mobile environments. NovaSpeed™ software helps optimize performance and enables simultaneous uploads and downloads at significantly enhanced speeds.
The USB760 from Verizon Wireless gives customers access to the company’s BroadbandAccess service, which provides fast access to e-mail, corporate data, the Internet and more. With average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits per second and average upload speeds of 500-800 kbps, BroadbandAccess from Verizon Wireless allows customers to download a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment – the equivalent of a small PowerPoint® presentation or a large PDF file – in about eight seconds and upload the same-sized file in less than 13 seconds.
The USB760 is available for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, they may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Customers can select from one- or two-year BroadbandAccess plans that offer 50 MB data usage for $39.99 monthly access or 5 GB data usage for $59.99 monthly access.
For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Business customers may contact their Verizon Wireless Business Sales Representatives directly at 1-800-VZW-4BIZ.
Verizon Wireless, the nation’s leading wireless provider, and Photobucket, the Web’s premier standalone photo and video-sharing site, today announced the availability of a new mobile photo service on select Verizon Wireless handsets that enables Verizon Wireless customers to easily send photos from a mobile device to a Photobucket album. The application will launch exclusively for Verizon Wireless customers and is available for download from Verizon Wireless mobile storefront by texting ‘photob’ to 2777, in the Community and Sharing category of the Verizon Wireless Get It Now catalog or by visiting photobucket.com/mobile.
Jennifer Byrne, director of digital media at Verizon,said, “Mobile phones are adding a new dimension to sharing images between friends, colleagues or family members. Photobucket is bringing Verizon Wireless customers a new and easy way to share their photos and videos in real-time, without needing to move to a PC to upload and send them.”
“Photobucket is thrilled to team up with Verizon Wireless to provide a quick and easy photo sharing solution for people on the go,” said Alex Welch, President of Photobucket. “Photobucket has always been committed to making photo sharing fun and easy. The Photobucket Mobile Uploader for Verizon Wireless unlocks the full potential of camera phone photos, allowing users to easily save and share images online more easily than they would using traditional digital cameras.”
To utilize the application, Verizon Wireless subscribers sign up for a Photobucket account – which can be created for free at http://photobucket.com – and enter their log-in information to link their Verizon Wireless account to their Photobucket online photo album. Once the accounts are connected, the application instantly uploads photos already saved on the phone to the user’s Photobucket account. The Photobucket Mobile Uploader then automatically sends any future photos directly to the same Photobucket account.
Verizon is the first carrier in the United States to be offering the Photobucket Mobile Uploader and the application will be available initially on 13 handsets. The service is available now from Verizon Wireless, which enables the user to send unlimited mobile photos to their Photobucket account for a monthly subscription fee of $2.99.
Verizon also notes that customers can create up to 10 greetings, 20 distribution lists and 50 distribution members to receive messages.
Verizon relies on the Alcatel-Lucent 5150 Messaging Applications Broker (MAB) for visual voice mail, “Which provides enhanced notification and content delivery services for voice, text and video messages through an intuitive visual interface.”
Feeling a bit like grandpa with this statement, I can remember the days when Bluetooth headsets (BTh) where just a few and even those where difficult to find. Today with many states going with hands-free laws (California to join the fray four days prior to our Nations birthday,) headsets are a dime a dozen now. Many offer a wide range of differing features but none seem to offer what LG’s Decoy does. You see, the Decoy docks its Bluetooth headset in the phone!
According to the Verizon press release SvenOnTech received, the headset attaches to a “discreet docking port” on the back of the slider phone. With the 2.2” mirror-like LCD screen and five-way joystick, you’ll be able to navigate through the multimedia friendly phone that supports mp3, .wma, .aac and unprotected .aac+ files as well as doing the V-CAST thang. You’ll also be able to do email (access MSN® Hotmail®, America Online® and Yahoo!®) along with web surfing. Speakerphone, 2.0 MP camera, and Bluetooth 2.1 pretty much round out this phone. Full set of features after the jump.
The LG Decoy will be available beginning on June 16 for $179.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year customer agreement through Verizon Wireless’ online store at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City.
Well, this iPhone lovin’ guy took a hold of the latest BlackBerry and gave it a spin. Yes, yes, I kept thinking, ‘How does this compare to the iPhone,’ in nearly every thing I did with it and funny to say, in some things, it faired better than the Apple-made phone. Granted, in others it didn’t (man, that web browser is plain horrible,) but truth is, not everyone wants an iPhone. Some people want Cut-n-Paste on their smartphone. 
So I trekked with the Curve for a couple of weeks, used it, played with it, snapped photos with it, let it guide me to destinations, and even talked on it. Many things surprised me about it and I must say, I was really impressed with it. It is without a doubt a definite replacement for all my Windows Mobile phones I used in the past, but my iPhone? Mmm, you’ll have to read the review for that answer.
Verizon Wireless has entered into an agreement with Alltel Corporation and Atlantis Holdings LLC, an affiliate of private investment firm TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners, to acquire Alltel Corporation in a cash merger. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD).
Under the terms of the agreement, Verizon Wireless will acquire the equity of Alltel for approximately $5.9 billion. Based on Alltel’s projected net debt at closing of $22.2 billion, the aggregate value of the transaction is $28.1 billion.
The parties are targeting completion of the merger by the end of the year, subject to obtaining regulatory approvals.
Once this transaction closes, customers of both companies will have access to an expanded range of products and services, including a premier lineup of basic and advanced devices and an expanded IN Network calling community. Alltel customers also will benefit from advanced services including over-the-air downloadable music from a three-million-song library, and a network that is nationwide, for a uniform coast-to-coast experience. They also will be able to take advantage of industry-leading consumer policies, including Test Drive and Worry Free Guarantee®.
“This move will create an enhanced platform of network coverage, spectrum and customer care to better serve the growing needs of both Alltel and Verizon Wireless customers for reliable basic and advanced broadband wireless services,” said Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless president and chief executive officer.
Alltel serves more than 13 million customers in markets in 34 states. This includes 57 primarily rural markets that Verizon Wireless does not serve. The transaction puts the Alltel markets and customers on a path to advanced 4th generation services as Verizon Wireless deploys LTE technology throughout its network over the next several years. Alltel’s customers also will reap the benefits of Verizon Wireless’ Open Development initiative, which welcomes third-party devices and services to use the Verizon Wireless network.
Verizon Communications, the owner of the majority stake in Verizon Wireless, expects that the transaction will be immediately accretive, excluding transaction and integration costs. “This is a perfect fit, with Alltel’s high-value post-paid customer base, its solid financials, our common network technology, and significant, readily attainable synergies,” said Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon chief executive officer and chairman of the Verizon board. “Verizon Wireless’ acquisition of Alltel clearly provides opportunities for enhanced value for Verizon shareholders.”
Alltel President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Ford will continue in his current position as head of Alltel until the merger is completed.
“Both Alltel and Verizon Wireless have long track records of delivering a high-quality customer experience in the marketplace,” Ford said. “The combination of our two companies will continue and improve upon that heritage as, together, we can more quickly deliver an expanded range of innovative products and services to our customers.”
Verizon Wireless expects to realize synergies with a net present value, after integration costs, of more than $9 billion driven by reduced capital and operating expense savings. Synergies are expected to generate incremental cost savings of $1 billion in the second year after closing.
Alltel and Verizon Wireless both use a common network technology, which provides advantages of a seamless transition for Alltel customers, ease in integrating the two companies’ networks, and scale efficiencies in operating the larger integrated network.
Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to Verizon Wireless on this transaction and is providing bridge financing. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP acted as legal advisor to Verizon Wireless.
Citibank, Goldman Sachs and RBS advised the sellers on the transaction. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz acted as legal advisor to Alltel, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Ropes & Gray LLP acted as legal advisors to the sellers.
Verizon Wireless announced today it has purchased the wireless assets of SureWest Communications, operating as SureWest Wireless, for $69.0 million.
The purchase includes SureWest Wireless’ spectrum licenses, and network and operations assets in the greater Sacramento area. The licenses, which cover a population of 3.8 million people and overlap with areas currently served by Verizon Wireless, will expand the company’s capacity in that area.
Verizon Wireless will transition SureWest Wireless’ approximately 50,000 customers to the Verizon Wireless network by late summer, after a billing system conversion has been completed. Customers will enjoy service on the nation’s most reliable wireless network, including the company’s high-speed broadband network for accessing the Internet and e-mail, and downloading music, games and videos.
Verizon Wireless will notify customers in the coming months about new services and options that will be available to them when the transition is complete. Until that time, customers will continue on their SureWest Wireless plans.
Verizon Wireless has invested more than $45 billion since it was formed – $5.5 billion on average every year – to increase the coverage and capacity of its national network and to add new services.
Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, announced the MOTO Q™ 9c will be available in the company’s online store and in Verizon Wireless business sales channels on May 9. Customers will be able to purchase the newest member of Verizon Wireless’ MOTO Q family at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, in the coming weeks.
The MOTO Q 9c is the perfect smartphone for business professionals and offers powerful capabilities, including access to more than 14 million points of interest with Verizon Wireless’ popular VZ NavigatorSM service. The phone will also offer the following features and capabilities:
- Windows Mobile® 6 Standard – access to POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts
Documents To Go® – read, edit and create Microsoft® Word®, Excel® and PowerPoint® documents - Full QWERTY keyboard with dedicated “hot keys” for shortcuts to popular applications
- 2.4” color screen with innovative adaptive technology to adjust for optimized brightness for indoor and outdoor lighting to maximize battery power
- 1.3 megapixel camera with flash and fixed focus, plus video capture and playback
- 128 MB of on-board memory and optional removable memory future-proofed up to 32 GB (sold separately)
- Voice-activated dialing
- Smart contacts dialing
- Speakerphone
- Stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology supporting both Bluetooth A2DP and AVRCP profiles*
Pricing
MOTO Q 9c will be available for $249.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year customer agreement. An additional $100 credit toward the purchase of the handset is available for customers who sign up for qualifying voice and data plans at the time of purchase. Verizon Wireless Nationwide E-mail plans for MOTO Q 9c begin at $79.99 for 450 anytime voice minutes and unlimited e-mail. VZ Navigator is also available for $9.99 for monthly access.
For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Business customers should contact their Verizon Wireless Business Sales Representative directly at 1-800-VZW-4BIZ.
* To determine the Bluetooth profiles supported by other Motorola devices, visit www.hellomoto.com/bluetooth. Certain Bluetooth features, including those listed, may not be supported by all compatible Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) announced that the Samsung Glyde™ will be available on May 9, 2008, online at www.verizonwireless.com and in more than 2,400 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores from coast to coast, including those in Circuit City. The Glyde is a powerful and sleek multimedia and messaging phone that boasts a robust feature-set packaged in a compact, touch-screen device with a full QWERTY keyboard.
The Glyde features a 2.8” advanced touch-screen that offers a tactile response and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that provides customers with an easy way to send text and instant messages. This multimedia device comes equipped with a full lineup of Verizon Wireless’ hottest services including V CAST Music and Video. With V CAST Music, customers have access to more than 3 million songs from well-known and independent artists that can be purchased and downloaded directly over-the-air to the Glyde. V CAST Video gives customers access to content from the best names in news, sports and entertainment.
Other features include a 2.0 megapixel camera with flash, microSD™ card slot, which supports up to 8 GB of external memory, and Bluetooth® stereo headset support.
Additional features of the Glyde include:
- HTML browser with touch navigation
- Get It Now® – download games, ringtones, wallpapers, location-based services and more
- 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder with flash and zoom:
- Brightness adjustment
- Self-time: Off, three, five or 10 seconds
- Color effects: Normal, black and white, sketch, antique, negative, green, aqua
Multi-shot Mode: Series, divided - Resolution Adjustment: 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 176 x 144
- VZ NavigatorSM capability – get visual and audible directions to thousands of destinations, locate businesses and other points of interest, get maps of a location, and share directions with others
- Music Player for .mp3, .wma, and unprotected .aac and .aac + files
- Bluetooth – supports headset, hands-free car kits, serial port, dial-up networking, advanced audio distribution (stereo), phone book access, object push for vCard, basic imaging for sending/printing non-protected images to a compatible device and basic print
- Text, picture and video messaging
- Instant Messaging using AIM®, MSN®, Yahoo!®
- Speakerphone
- Speed dialing
- Dimensions: 4.09” x 1.97” x .7” (standard battery)
- Weight: 4.13 ounces (with standard battery)
- Display: 240 x 440 pixel, 262K TFT, 2.8” active screen area
- Bilingual user interface: English and Spanish
- TTY/TTD-capable
- Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4
- Personal organizer with calendar, calculator, notepad, currency converter, alarm clock, world time and stop watch
- Phone book with up to 500 entries with multiple contacts
- Usage time: Up to 210 minutes with standard battery or up to 250 hours with standard battery for standby time
- 2.5 mm headset jack
The Glyde will be available for $249.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers can get the most out of their Glyde with Verizon Wireless’ Nationwide Premium calling plan. Starting at $79.99 monthly access, the Nationwide Premium calling plan includes: unlimited messaging, VZ Navigator, Mobile Email, and V CAST VPak plus unlimited megabytes for Mobile Web and Get It Now. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, customers can visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or visit www.verizonwireless.com.
Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, announced today that VZ NavigatorSM (Version 4) is now available on select consumer phones. First announced during CTIA WIRELESS 2008, the newest version of VZ Navigator allows customers in 75 cities from coast to coast to access information about traffic incidents on major roadways, obtain traffic updates and find detours around traffic congestion and accidents. More cities are expected to be added in the coming year. In addition, the new version of VZ Navigator offers a 3D perspective view of maps, a movie and events finder, weather reports and forecasts, and gas prices at nearby gas stations.
Verizon Wireless’ VZ Navigator service is a location-based service (LBS) application that utilizes location-based technology and real-time and historical information feeds. The new version of VZ Navigator offers customers the following features:
Traffic Integration – Customers in 75 cities can access routes that are calculated using both historical and real-time reported traffic information. Historical information allows customers to see on average whether the traffic is impacted by traffic lights, heavy traffic or school zones. Incident and flow information tells customers how traffic is flowing and includes details about reported accidents, disabled vehicles and congestion. VZ Navigator’s historical data covers over 750,000 miles of roads in 48 states. The traffic tracking center continually monitors conditions along the customers’ routes, sending proactive alerts to drivers about conditions ahead of them on their chosen routes. Detour options allow users to compare estimated times of arrival and conditions before selecting a new route.
Local Movies and Events – Customers can now search for show times, critics’ ratings and other details for movies, concerts, plays, sporting events, and other social events based on the physical location of their phones.
3D Perspective View – Enhances navigation by displaying maps from angles customers would see through car windshields, making it easier to visualize turn-by-turn directions.
Gas Finder – Provides customers with information on the location of gas stations close to their physical locations and even provides gas prices as reported by many gas stations in the area. Once a customer selects a station, VZ Navigator can also provide turn-by-turn directions to the selected gas station.
Weather – Provides current weather conditions and forecasts based on the physical location of the customer’s phone without manually inputting an address.
Lee Daniels, vice president of consumer product development for Verizon Wireless, said, “With the new features of VZ Navigator, Verizon Wireless customers now have a powerful navigation device that not only gives them directions but also provides the latest traffic information and more. The expanded services on VZ Navigator are another example of how we provide our customers with a great value for their wireless dollar – on the most reliable wireless network in the country.”
Pricing and Availability
VZ Navigator (Version 4) is available today for $9.99 for unlimited monthly access or $2.99 for one-day use on select Get It Now®-enabled phones in the Get Going section under Travel & Guides or Featured Apps. Airtime or megabyte charges and specific terms of use apply when browsing, downloading and using the application. Traffic integration is only available in certain areas.
Verizon Wireless customers who currently have a subscription to VZ Navigator can upgrade on select phones by simply selecting Options from the main screen of VZ Navigator then selecting Check for Updates. At launch, the following phones are able to access VZ Navigator (Version 4): G’zOne Type-V and G’zOne Type-S; Kyocera K323; The V™, enV™, enV2TM, Chocolate, Venus™, and Voyager™ by LG, LG VX5300, LG VX5400, LG VX8300, LG VX8350, LG VX8600, LG VX8700, and LG VX9400; Nokia 6205 and Nokia 2605; MOTOKRZR™ K1m, MOTORAZR™ maxx Ve, MOTORAZR2 V9m, MOTORAZR™ V3c, MOTORAZRTM V3m, MOTOSLVR L7c, MOTO™ Z6c world edition, and Motorola W385; and Alias™ by Samsung, Verizon Wireless Juke by Samsung, Samsung SCH-a930, Samsung SCH-a990, Samsung SCH-u410, Samsung SCH-u540, and Samsung SCH-u620.
For more information on VZ Navigator, visit www.verizonwireless.com/vznavigator. For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.