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Verizon wants you to know why you shouldn't buy the G1
It's not going all-out with a nasty public smear campaign, but Verizon wants its sales reps fully prepared for the occasional customer (or would-be customer) asking why they shouldn't head across the street to T-Mobile and pick up a G1 instead. To that end, they've prepared a nicely pre-packaged list of reasons that can be rattled off on command, ranging from the totally legitimate (super limited 3G coverage) to the dubious (no audible navigation instructions) to the outright silly (music downloads via Amazon MP3 limited to WiFi). It's a good effort, Verizon -- but with the Storm around the corner for y'all, we don't think you've got to try too hard to hang onto customers and nab a few conquests of your own. Follow the break for page two of this rather... educational document.[Thanks, Carter]
LG's VX5500 clamshell goes on sale at Verizon Wireless
It's no world-beater or anything, but the dual-display LG VX5500 is finally on sale at Verizon Wireless. Just as a refresher, this one's bringing Bluetooth, a VGA camera, speakerphone, VZ Navigator support, voice activated dialing and Mobile Web 2.0. If you're cool with being just a few miles behind the curve, you can dig in now for $49.99 on a 2-year contract, $119.99 on a 1-year deal or $219.99 outright.[Via phonescoop]
Department of Justice approves Verizon's Alltel acquisition, requires more concessions
The suits at the Department of Justice just green-lighted Verizon's planned acquisition of regional rival Alltel, moving the two CDMA giants closer to a marriage that would easily eclipse AT&T to become the largest wireless carrier in North America. There's a catch, though, and a rather hefty one at that -- Verizon has to agree to divest itself of some 100 local markets in 22 states to keep the competitive landscape in action; given that they've already indicated a willingness to shed some markets to seal the deal, it probably won't be an issue. The next hurdle for Vertel (or Allzon, depending on how you roll) will come on November 4, when the FCC votes on whether it'll bless the deal. As for the rumors that Verizon is now eligible to get Alltel at a 50 percent discount with a $1 billion mail-in rebate if it agrees to a two-year contract, we're not hearing any comment from either side.
Verizon pushes VueKey as an alternative to CableCARDs
At this point it's old news that Verizon is not down with tru2way, but we're glad that instead of just complaining about it, Verizon is pushing for another technology. So instead of a physical card that plugs into the back of your TV or TiVo, VueKey is a downloadable conditional access system that would be downloaded to your equipment. The thing that has us scratching our head is what does this have to do with tru2way? The way we see it is while CableCARD controls the access to the programming, tru2way is for the user interface. Either way, on one hand the idea of plugging a card into a device just to authenticate it seems silly in this day and age, but at the same time we don't want to go out and replace all of our CableCARD devices just of the conditional access of the month.
HP considering netbook / wireless broadband bundles in USA
It was really only a matter of time before this here tactic spread from Europe and Asia (and Canada) to the United States, and now it seems the dream is bordering on reality. A Wall Street Journal report has it that HP -- you know, that company that makes the Mini-Note 2133 and Mini 1000 -- is considering bundling its netbooks with wireless cellular data plans in order to boost sales. Theoretically, the machines would be offered up at a steep discount in order to lock consumers into a 2-year mobile broadband plan, though "steep" has yet to be defined. Also, the company hasn't definitively said which carrier(s) will be called upon to be its partner(s), but the article does note that both Verizon Wireless and AT&T are in the cards.
Verizon adds NHL Network, NHL Center Ice to FiOS lineup
It may be a bit late for the start of the season, but Verizon's added the NHL Center Ice package, letting viewers subscribe to 40 out of market NHL games every week and early round playoff games, with "select" games in high definition. Beyond the $169 season bundle, FiOS also will soon be home to the NHL Network channel promising 75 HD games this season, along with 24 hours a day to talk cross-checking, zambonis and whatnot. We don't know if it can save hockey but we're glad Verizon is providing another option to the MLB, NBA and NFL action going on right now.
Verizon delivers fast-forward-disabled HD VOD content from ABC
My, my -- this is just gross. In an awkwardly positive release, Verizon is gleefully announcing the launch of ABC video-on-demand content on its fiber-based FiOS TV service. Unfortunately, that very content is of the "fast-forward-disabled" variety. If you'll recall, we've seen ABC lock up its VOD content on other carriers before, but we're still dismayed that the suits up there at Disney-ABC Television Group won't provide on demand entertainment that's, you know, on demand. If there's a silver lining, FiOS TV users nationwide will be able to catch all of ABC's hit shows a day after they air in high-definition, which sure beats watching commercials in SD.
WiFi certification: pretty strong evidence Verizon's Omnia is WiFi-equipped
There's some ongoing debate as to whether Verizon's upcoming version of the Samsung Omnia, the predictably-named SCH-i910, would feature WiFi. In general, Verizon's historically just been about the least WiFi-friendly of the major US carriers, so prevailing logic had us believing (pessimists that we are) that the Omnia would rely on EV-DO alone to go about its high-speed data business, too. Ah, but wait -- there's this little matter of a WiFi Alliance certification proudly proclaiming the i910 as a "Phone, dual-mode (Wi-Fi and cellular)," which would suggest that there's an extra radio up in there somewhere. Of course, Verizon could go ahead and disable that circuitry in software before they drop it on a store shelf, but with that giant heart of gold of theirs, would they really sink so low as to disable it? (Don't answer that.)[Thanks, Ari]
Verizon gets political with FiOS1 local TV channel in DC Metro Area
Now here's an interesting one. Verizon, the carrier who offers up FiOS TV, is actually getting set to launch its very own channel. Granted, it'll only be available to FiOS TV users -- and for now, users in the Washington, DC Metro area -- but still, it's a touch peculiar (albeit useful). For FiOS subscribers in Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland, you'll now be able to tune into Channel 1 (FiOS1, predictably), which will reportedly act as a "one-stop shop for local weather, traffic, news, sports and community features." From now until November 4th, however, it will be airing "rebroadcasts of the three presidential debates and the vice-presidential debate, as well as key speeches from the Democratic and Republican conventions." There's no mention of FiOS1 making a debut in other areas (nor of it going HD), but we'd keep an eye out on Channel 1 just in case.Update: Seems FiOS1 has been available for a tick, but it's the political coverage that's changing things up. Thanks, urfloormatt!
Both AT&T and Verizon see very positive Q3s
While many industries are going through a bit of a rough patch (to put things mildly), both AT&T and Verizon are soaking up the sun. Or maybe that's just the beaming glow being emitted from their respective Q3 reports. Either way, AT&T reported a 2.0 million net gain in total wireless subscribers on the coattails of 2.4 million iPhone 3G activations, while it notched a 50.5% uptick in wireless data revenues and saw overall wireless revenues increase by 15.4%. As for Verizon Wireless, it witnessed 1.5 million net customer additions (excluding the 630,000 customers pulled in from its Rural Cellular acquisition), and it noted that data revenues -- which now comprise over a fourth of all service revenue -- shot up 42.5% to $2.8 billion. For numbers galore explaining just how well the pair did this past quarter, mount up your reading glasses and hit the links below.[Via mocoNews]Read - Verizon Q3 2008 earnings reportRead - AT&T Q3 2008 earnings report
Branding overkill: Verizon's Omnia, Saga, Touch Pro, and Renown all pictured
In case it wasn't already clear that the wireless industry was heading into a dark, cold winter of ridiculous product names, we present to you Verizon's latest batch: the Omnia, Saga, and Renown from Samsung, and the Touch Pro from HTC. Granted, the Touch Pro isn't ridiculous, and the Omnia we're sorta used to at this point, but as for these other two, we're not so sure. As we've mentioned, the Saga appears to be the go-to-market name for the rumored i770, and phoneArena now sports a nice, clear picture of exactly what the blue QWERTY WinMo phone with global roaming is going to look like. The u810 Renown will be the other piece in Verizon's global roaming puzzle, a flip with a 2-megapixel cam that had been previously pegged for a late-September release but has been pushed back for unknown reasons. The CDMA variant of the Omnia -- the i910 -- just popped onto our radar a couple weeks ago, and we now have official-looking photography of Verizon's WinMo-equipped jewel with a 5-megapixel camera, and 8GB of internal storage with microSD expansion. Finally, we suspect that throngs of Verizon loyalists are going to be thrilled to see a photo of a Big Red-branded Touch Pro, a phone that had been rumored to be coming to The Network for several months now with very little proof to show for it. All four of these monsters are currently slated for November, and with the holidays just around the corner, we bet Verizon would just love to hold to that plan.
Verizon halts Glyde sales, says it has "an issue" (update: maybe not)
We're not sure if these are like intimacy issues, magazine issues, or technical issues, but Verizon has put out a vaguely-worded all points bulletin to its employees saying that the Glyde's somehow screwed up and should be pulled off shelves immediately. In fact, the situation's so bad that Big Red won't even let you have a Glyde back if you send one in for service -- they want to give you an enV2 in its place (though it says in the memo that customers throwing a hissyfit over the switcheroo can be provided with something else at the manager's discretion). There's no word beyond that on what the hell's going on, but we're told to expect more info shortly.[Thanks, Carter]Update: One important additional detail here -- this information was received in a Verizon customer service call center. It's not clear when (or if) corporate and third-party stores will receive the same story from the big wigs.Update 2: We're still trying to get some official clarification from Verizon, but it seems that Glydes haven't been pulled. We still believe the screen shots we were provided to be authentic, though -- so it's not clear if Verizon changed its mind, hasn't yet pulled them, the stoppage was very brief, or this information only applies to certain departments or situations. We'll continue to update as we get more.
Poll: Have you switched carriers due to lack of HD?
We've asked you before whether it was "worth it" to switch from cable to satellite in search of a wider selection of high-def material, but now we're looking to see if any of you walked the talk. Have any of you readers actually ditched your programming provider in order to find another with more HD content? And if so, where did you leave and where did you go? Any regrets? Is life really that much better with more HD than one could ever watch in a single day? Brag / sulk away in comments below. %Poll-21447%
Verizon Wireless to launch its own Samsung Ubicell
We figured it was only a matter of time before someone else took Samsung up on its offer of a branded Ubicell for their network, and it seems as if Verizon Wireless will be calling the two spot. After Sprint launched the CDMA femtocell (dubbed AIRAVE) for users with lackluster service at home, the unit was widely regarded as amazing, magnificent and just downright stupendous. According to a new filing with the FCC, Verizon is hoping to provide those same wonderful emotions to its own customers who are already frustrated with dropped calls and terrible service at home. Obviously, there's no mention of a price or release date, but judging by the user manual, installation and operation will be exactly the same -- and yes, that means it won't operate without a GPS lock proving that you're currently situated in America. Now, if only a universal GSM version were right around the bend, we'd be pleased as punch.[Via CellPhone Signal]
Verizon caves, settles Klausner visual voicemail suit by signing license
We figured back in August that Verizon (and LG) would eventually be forced to pay up in order to keep visual voicemail on its handsets, and sure enough, that's exactly what has gone down with the former company. Verizon and Klausner Technologies have quickly settled outstanding patent litigation by way of Verizon entering into a patent license agreement for using visual voicemail. To date, Verizon is the 15th company to ink such an agreement, ensuring that the suits at Klausner can remain firmly parked in Grand Cayman, Aruba, Maui or any other blissful location they please for the remainder of their Earthly lives. As for LG? We'd say the outcome is all but imminent at this point.[Via phonescoop, image courtesy of MyDigitalLife]
Verizon's FiOS TV expansions: October 25, 2008
Verizon was on a rampage last week when it came to FiOS TV expansions, and we're delighted to say that this week isn't too much different. For starters, we see that the latest wave of interactive features have swept across North Texas and New Jersey, while councils in Pomona, Lindenhurst, Hewlett Bay Park and Yorktown, New York approved video franchises to get Verizon's fiber-based programming service up and running in the near future. Finally, we see a single town in Washington (Kirkland) and two locales in the Bay State (Hudson and Weston) get word of impending FiOS TV service. We'll see you next week -- here's to hoping your neck of the woods gets covered within the next seven days.Read - North Texas interactive featuresRead - New Jersey interactive featuresRead - New York expansionRead - Massachusetts expansionRead - Washington expansion
Verizon notches gold in retail satisfaction study
While Sprint recently saw its CSR response times skyrocket, Verizon's doing a happy dance of its own after pulling down a gold medal from a recent J.D. Power and Associates survey. Curiously enough, it's not one we see as being particularly awesome -- call us crazy, but we tend to care about amazing coverage more than how spiffy a sales associate looks -- but the carrier is apparently numero uno in retail satisfaction. What's that mean, you ask? It takes into account four factors: sales staff, store display, store facility and price / promotion. Evidently, Verizon has the whole B&M experience thing locked down, and these days, we reckon you take every chance you get to celebrate. Party on, in that case.[Via RCRWireless, image courtesy of DayLife]
Best Buy nabs exclusive on Verizon Blitz Titanium
If you're not cool with the Blitz's original blue -- well, first of all: hater. Secondly, plan on trotting out to your friendly local big box come this Sunday, October 26 for the release of Verizon's baby QWERTY set in "titanium," which is an uppity word for gray. No word on pricing yet, but we're thinking it won't break the bank.[Thanks, Carter]
Verizon gets FiOS TV / high-speed internet into Bronx's Parkchester complex
And so it begins. It appears that the FCC's efforts to facilitate programming competition for apartments last year have been successful, with Verizon inking its second contract with a New York-based complex this month. This time, the agreement is with Parkchester, the largest privately owned condominium complex in the US. The deal will bring Verizon's FiOS TV and high-speed internet to residents of Parkchester in the Bronx, giving some 12,271 apartments in 171 buildings access to a fiber-based alternative. As you could likely guess, this is the provider's largest agreement ever in the urban multiple-dwelling-unit market, and while a specific date wasn't mentioned, everything should go live before the end of 2008.
LG VX5500 for Verizon finally gets pictured, world lets out a collective sigh of relief
Alright, so maybe this non-3G crapshell isn't the phone that the world has been waiting for; maybe not by a long shot. Be that as it may, the VX5400-replacing VX5500 isn't looking half bad, featuring (if you can call these "features") a VGA camera, Bluetooth, and count 'em -- not one, but two displays. Looks like it's still tracking for a late October release, so get your wallets out, but don't plan on pulling out more than a few crisp bills because it'll run a mere $49.99 on a two-year setup.
