What does the Verizon-Alltel deal mean for you?

So what's the fallout of Verizon's deal to buy Alltell for customers?

Really, Alltel customers should see no changes until the merger is finished at year’s end.

The biggest change soon after that will be a new logo on monthly bills, telecommunications analyst Jeff Kagan said.

He expects, like in other wireless mergers, that Alltel customers should be able to keep their phones and calling plans until their contracts expire.

And they might be able to keep their phones beyond that because the Alltel and Verizon use the same type of wireless service. Whether Verizon plans to permanently adopt any of the Alltel’s calling plans is unknown.

This will be the second recent wireless phone merger for South Carolinians. T-Mobile completed its takeover of Suncom in February but does not plan to transfer customers until October. In the meantime, Suncom customers can use the same phones and plans.

Kagan also expects, like in other wireless mergers, that Alltel customers will not be able to break their contracts if they don't want to join Verizon without paying the early termination fee. Alltel’s fee is $200, according to its Web site.

Verizon offers more services than Alltel, especially in videos and higher-speed connections, he said. Upgrades to Alltel systems could take up to a year to complete after the deal is finished, Kagan said.

Comments

[Joe the plumber]

When will the merger be complete?