FCC approves Verizon's Alltel buy, deal all but done

Following the DOJ's approval last week, the FCC has voted unanimously today to approve Verizon's acquisition of Alltel, promising to create a CDMA network of insane proportions that'll eclipse AT&T to become the US' largest wireless carrier. Like their fellow feds over at the DOJ, the FCC guys attached some conditions to the approval, including a requirement that Verizon continue to honor Alltel's existing roaming agreements for four years -- presumably in an effort to protect and appease rural carriers who've been solidly against the merger all along. This'll almost certainly lead to some job losses in the Alltel camp, but look on the bright side, guys: you just might have a crack at that wild LG VX9600 now.

[Via Phone Scoop]

[tddk_2000 @ Nov 4th 2008 5:10PM]

so the commercials making fun of verizon by alltel will stop?

[Hold McGroin @ Nov 4th 2008 5:05PM]

My apologies to the Alltel customers.

[Samboini @ Nov 4th 2008 5:55PM]

My apologies for having such cruel parents.

[kjb434 @ Nov 4th 2008 5:06PM]

I guess Chad is finally getting knocked off!

or

I guess Chad is going to bed with the Verizon guy.

[Arnie @ Nov 4th 2008 5:11PM]

I guess Chad ended up being the Ding Dong after all.

[Valicore @ Nov 4th 2008 5:18PM]

It's even worse... I think Chad had to eat the dingdong, cream and all, and then smile and say he liked it.

[Valicore @ Nov 4th 2008 5:21PM]

My condolences to Alltel customers and employees. Acutally, to all customers and employees of any cell phone provider. This just means less competition and less choice.

[Valicore @ Nov 4th 2008 5:21PM]

Actually I meant, actually! :(

[MastrCake @ Nov 4th 2008 5:28PM]

Welcome to the world, Veritel.

Just one question... does this mean Chad and the Verizon dude need to share adspace?

[Cybergypsy @ Nov 4th 2008 5:57PM]

They are getting married!

[CJ ADAP @ Nov 4th 2008 5:57PM]

is it just me or i never ever seen an alltel commercial?

[MastrCake @ Nov 4th 2008 6:15PM]

I think it's just you.

I live in Boise (aka NO Alltel service) and I see them all the friggin time. Even on local stations!

[Valicore @ Nov 4th 2008 7:02PM]

Wow, yes, it is possible it's just you. I live in the SF Bay Area where they never offered service and never would because they don't own any spectrum there, and I saw there ads all the time. It was funny at first, but annoying when they started offering better plans and cheaper prices than what I could get from anyone here lol.

[Sora @ Nov 4th 2008 5:59PM]

As for Chad's fate, airing a commercial saying that the Verizon dude ate him would be quite fitting.

[inteller @ Nov 6th 2008 9:33AM]

No, the commercial will just show the verizon guy kicking Chad to the back of the lemming pile that always follows the verizon guy around.

[SupaYoYoMan @ Nov 4th 2008 6:10PM]

hold on wait...

what does this mean for alltel costumers? (aka me)

[DingDong @ Nov 4th 2008 6:20PM]

Can I get out of my Alltel contract because of this?

[zargon @ Nov 4th 2008 6:39PM]

I highly doubt it, if it is anything like when Crapular took over AT&T, and I would wager that it will be. Cingular honored AT&T's contracts, which meant the contracts were still valid and to get out, you need to pay the termination fee.

As long as Verizon doesn't manage to degrade the service like Cingular some how did (I went from getting perfect reception in my apartment to getting none), which I doubt, I would just stick out your Alltel contract and then decided what you want to do from there. Everyone seems to like to hate on Verizon, maybe it is just the cool thing to do now, but I have yet to have a problem with them. They have been by far the best provider in the Twin Cities area from my experience, which I know location and phones can change ones perception. I feel that I am getting what I pay for, good service with great coverage.

[Jonathan @ Nov 4th 2008 7:06PM]

Oddly enough, when the 1st AT&T took over US Cellular, they cancelled all our contracts and gave us "special offers" that were $20 more a month than the exact plan at Alltel. Verizon has already told us Alltel customers that they will honor our current contracts, but after that we have to give up myCircle and get a verizon contract.

[sip @ Nov 4th 2008 6:24PM]

Soooo does this mean you can pick up a alltell phone like the touch diamond, then it will work on the verizon network after a while? yes?

[conrad @ Nov 4th 2008 8:56PM]

im going to miss the ding dong commercials

[Jonathan @ Nov 4th 2008 7:10PM]

The technology is the same. Verizon has (to my knowledge) always been willing to reprogram an alltel phone for verizon networks. Alltel won't though. Verizon phone hardware >>> alltel phone hardware btw.

[sr @ Nov 4th 2008 7:55PM]

Wow! That is just real sad.

[Josh @ Nov 4th 2008 7:28PM]

I want to thow up... first AT&T is going to put caps on my internet usage, and now I forced to be owned by Verizon. Why are we going backwards?

[Josh @ Nov 4th 2008 7:30PM]

my bad, thow = throw

[sr @ Nov 4th 2008 7:55PM]

WTF is wrong with the FCC? When they are done we'll have a monopoly that needs a government bailout and will become a public monopoly.

[Xoyuji @ Nov 4th 2008 8:18PM]

Just wait to everybody (except sprint) is on LTE
Then we will see a monopoly

[Tyson @ Nov 4th 2008 10:15PM]

FUCK YOU FCC do your job

[Charlie @ Nov 4th 2008 10:53PM]

Yeah, I must say that I'm pretty pissed about this. First because Verizon is in the business of screwing it's customers by charging more for less (compare plans for Verizon vs Alltel and you'll see what I mean. But then also, we'll be losing MyCircle eventually. Once my contract is up, I'll be switching from Verizon to someone else (most likely Sprint) and I think you'll get a LOT of people doing the same and it'll all be because of Verizon dropping MyCircle.

Now if they keep it... Well, that'll be a whole different story.

[shaquitasoraus @ Nov 4th 2008 10:58PM]

im an existing verizon customer so if i went out and bought a glimmer i could use it with zvw

[Scrotum @ Nov 5th 2008 12:38AM]

My main question regarding this is EV-DO roaming. Verizon has it where I live, but Alltel did not nor does Sprint ( I am a Sprint customer). Right now Sprint customers can roam on Alltels EV-DO network, but can only data roam on 1x through Verizon, what are the odds that I will be able to roam on the new larger EV-DO network?? Any guesses?

[Anthony @ Nov 7th 2008 5:59AM]

lol wow

just...wow

chad is a big fat epic FAIL ::shakes head::

[ghostofunder @ Nov 8th 2008 9:47AM]

Does anyone know when this becomes official? I need to add a line for someone whose T-Mobil contract is not quite up.

[Daren @ Nov 9th 2008 4:51PM]

I might be the only one happy here... There are no Verizon towers here... Alltel however has some... No more "extended network", here i come!

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Nov 10th 2008 7:30AM]

I don't like your picture...