Verizon Offering Unlimited-Calling Groups
By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 2/12/2009
Basking Ridge, N.J. — Verizon Wireless unveiled a calling-group plan that allows for unlimited calling to select numbers, mimicking T-Mobile’s MyFaves plan and Alltel’s My Circle plan.
Verizon’s free Friends & Family plan, available Feb. 15, lets select subscribers create a calling group of up to five or 10 numbers. Minutes used when placing calls to those numbers, or receiving calls from them, do not count against a subscriber’s minutes. The numbers can include landline numbers and the numbers of cellphones activated on any U.S. cellular network.
Eligible subscribers must have a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Single Line plan with 900 or more anytime minutes or a Nationwide Family SharePlan with 1,400 or more anytime minutes. Subscribers on a single-line plan are allowed to include five numbers in their calling group. Customers on an eligible Family SharePlan can select up to 10 numbers.
Verizon Wireless bought Alltel in January, but in the 105 markets where Verizon and Alltel competed, Alltel is continuing to run the operations until Verizon, under mandate by federal regulators, sells off the operations. Verizon has six months from closing to sell of the operations, which are in 22 states nationwide with 2.2 million customers.
