Verizon Adds BlackBerry With Push-To-Talk

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 3/29/2010

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless has joined the short list of carriers offering Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry smartphones with push-to-talk (PTT) capability.

Verizon plans March 30 availability of the BlackBerry Tour 9630 with PTT service for enterprise and consumer users.

Competing carrier AT&T Wireless offers two BlackBerrys with PTT: the Curve 8320 and the BlackBerry 8820. Sprint offers the BlackBerry Curve 8350i with Nextel Direct Connect PTT capabilities on its iDEN network. Sprint also plans to offer the industry's first Android-based smartphone with PTT sometime during the summer for use on its iDEN network.

Verizon currently offers the Tour 9630 on its Web site to consumers at $99.99, with consumers able to get a second one free. Push-to-talk capability is available as a downloadable app. The international 3G phone operates on Verizon's 800/1900MHz EV-DO Rev. A network and on foreign 2.1GHz HSPA networks.