http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/ Engadget Comments for Verizon gets official with $28 billion Alltel acquisition http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 10:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/ "How the "EF" is Alltel worth $28 billion?... They only have 13 mil customers!"

The acquisition includes about $5.9 billion in cash and $22.2 billion in debt.

Alltel isn't worth $28 billion... but that's what it will take to buy them free and clear.]]>Jun 5th 2008 12:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
Too bad for Alltel customers, though, now it's time to watch your phones suck with the VZW UI, your prices will go through the roof and your customer service down the toilet. Oh well, at least there's still T-Mo.]]>Jun 5th 2008 12:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
Something just doesn't sound right about that, it reminds me of the Bear-Stearns acquisition where they were way down to $2 a share then when news broke that JP Morgan chase would buy them along with a little (a lot, $30 billion dollar bail-out) Govt help magically over night their shares shot up to $30 dollars.]]>Jun 5th 2008 12:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 6th 2008 12:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 26th 2008 7:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
Check YOUR facts. Alltel has had the largest coverage in terms of land mass than verizon since the 2005 acquisition of Western Wireless. That was independently verified, genius.]]>Oct 29th 2008 6:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://digg.com/tech_news/Verizon_gets_official_with_28_billion_Alltel_acquisition]]>Jun 5th 2008 10:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/

Here's to the money I save up using T-Mo's weak coverage going towards a really great phone from 'cross the seas....]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 10:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Aug 8th 2008 7:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
I don't know anyone on VZW who doesn't get a corporate phone or discount, but I don't tend to hang out with idiots so that explains a lot.]]>Jun 5th 2008 12:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Verizon may gimp their phones, but any self respecting person who reads Engadget has a phone that runs at least windows mobile, which verizon does offer untouched.
Verizon is a necessary evil since CDMA networks are faster and have more coverage in North America, which you wouldn't think is an issue since I only live 35 minutes outside of NYC.

So you choose, "Hold McGroin" would you rather be a pompous douche, or have working cell service?

p.s. I have tried t-mobile, which is CDMA as well, and their coverage was worse than the GSM networks.]]>Jun 5th 2008 1:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
(Not that I'm a GSM or CDMA fanboy, by any means.)]]>Jun 5th 2008 7:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
My money is on Chad.

]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/I put my money on Chad, hes got the wizard. The wizard has already summoned a doberman. What if he summons a lion? "Anybody can get past a dog. But NOBODY fucks with a lion."]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
What do you think all these aquisitions are for. They want to destroy all the competition and then they have you. If you want cell service you'll have to pay through the nose for it.]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
As for the phones being crippled, I say just cook up your own ROM based on Sprint's or another carrier's releases and flash away. Bang, problem solved. Example: XV6800, now sporting EV-DO Rev. A and GPS, all on Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro.]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
Get your facts straight I have unlimited data with Sprint, there is no 5Gb (cap) max. Sprints $59.99 plan is Unlimited, I have unlimited data on 2 handsets as well, 1 at no charge due to being the primary line the second is $10 a month.

Read: http://nextelonline.nextel.com/NASApp/onlinestore/en/Action/SubmitPhone]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
Okay, so no set-in-stone 5GB "max," but they still have this little note in the TOS: "We reserve the right to restrict usage if it adversely affects network performance."

HOWEVER, a little more research yielded a hot topic on a popular sprint users' forum: http://www.sprintusers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=163559

Better enjoy that "unlimited" data quick...]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
You must watch FAUX news or something because now you're trying to spin, you commented that "AT&T and Sprint both have a similar policy" where there is a 5Gb cap on data. It may be true with ATT however it is not true with Sprint, now you're trying to reference a forum and TOS?... I spoke with several different Sprint reps about that "RUMOR" they all said it is not true.]]>Jun 5th 2008 12:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
Pick and choose want you will, but enjoy either way: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=&q=sprint+data+cap&btnG=Search+News

Admittedly, they appear to only limit Broadband Access through PC card modems and Phone-as-modem plans... which are, of course, the only two ways you could possibly use that much data.]]>Jun 5th 2008 12:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
I just got off the phone with Sprint Exec services they said who ever put out that info is incorrect, She said " in fact Sprint encourages the use of it's data". ]]>Jun 5th 2008 12:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:10AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
Then all of the unlimited plans will disappear, texting will go to $1.00 per text and we'll have to pay $500 a month for Cell access because there won't be any competition anymore.

Whoo hoo can't wait for our absolutely atrocious cell network to get even worse. Hello US government wake up it's time to stop a few mergers.
]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
T-Mobile is part of a large European company Duestche Telecom.

Verizon, Alltel, and Sprint/Nextel all run on similar technology.

I'm guessing all aspects of Alltel will fade away (including the circle).

That's what happened when Cingular bought ATT Wireless. Ironically, a couple of years later, the ATT (non-wireless) bough Cingular......
]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/You are aware of something called supply and demand
It makes a nice little graph and stuff. Well it kind of applies to cell networks too.
If prices go up as high $1.00 per text, you can bet that there wont be anyone actually texting. If monthly access goes up to $500 per month, well then nobody will be able to own a cell phone for very long and the company wont exactly make money (which is a bad thing in business).

Companies can only charge what people are willing to pay for the service or item. Otherwise they fail.

]]>Jun 5th 2008 8:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
At&t, Verizon and Qwest are the only three left.


At&t or Verizon will buy Qwest then after that I give it 2 to 3 years an either Verizon or At&t will merge or buy the other out and become Ma Bell again maybe with a new name this time but good old 40 year bs plus future bs on the side 1 phone company.
]]>Jun 6th 2008 2:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/Jun 5th 2008 11:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/STUPId.
I Love alltel.
verizon has been ripping off 70% of everyone in our town and surrounding counties. this is stupid. ]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
Lower prices would be a start. Non-crippled phones, lower etf's, and no contracts, might have actually happened if there was competition in the marketplace. It's no coincidence that when one carrier raises prices, or limits features. It's called collusion. If the free market actually determined anything in the wireless industry I wouldn't be so mad.

Now I see why Verizon is so expensive. It's not for the network, it's so they have enough cash on hand to buy out the competition.

I F'ing hate them so much right now. ]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
And pricing competively to build a customer base is great, but eventually, when you have expenditures to maintain that base as it grows, your costs have to increase somewhat.

Yes, VZW is a little on the high side. But they are not alone in what they do. Someone is always first to raise text rates, pro-rate ETF, put a 5GB on data (Can the sprint fanboys please shut up now?).

Everyone wants everything...international roaming, no data cap, free this, unlimited that, etc. How many companies do you think can afford to give the farm and still invest in improvements? Will they raise prices when it's only two...probably. who the hell knows. But AT&T and VZW are already in the drivers seat and would have eventually squeezed the little guys out anyway on 4G alone.

* sigh * Tin cans anyone?
]]>Jun 5th 2008 11:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
Measuring anything based on what a lot of Americans do is usually another way of measuring how stupid people in the US are.

Verizon has NO ADVANTAGE for even one of their customers. CDMA phones are easily well behind their GSM counterparts, you can't argue this, it's a fact. Well, that is unless you can find me a CDMA phones with a 5MP camera and a Xenon flash and a screen resolution higher than 320x200. Plus VZW has their awful UI and go ahead and lock your phone down by disabling features like BT file transfer.

Sprint is pretty much the same, but 25% cheaper unless you're on SERO and no awful UI or gimped phones.

AT&T and T-Mo allow you to use unlocked GSM phones. T-Mo is a better company but AT&T has 3G.

So, there you have it. You have to be pretty clueless to use VZW.

Count down for a ton of VZW customers to jump in and defend their Juke or whatever horrible phone they have (yes, including the Venus, Voyager, Env2 and whatever locked dumbphone you think is nice).]]>Jun 5th 2008 12:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/05/verizon-gets-official-with-28-billion-alltel-acquisition/
What most people do want though is good service, and as long as GSM depends on TDMA (everything < 3G), you are never going to match the quality of service a CDMA system can bring. So until there actually is 3G GSM coverage in the US, all the bells and whistles you can throw on a GSM phone isn't going to change the fact that you'll have more dropped calls, poorer reception, and slower data traffic.]]>Jun 5th 2008 1:08PM