Integration of Verizon and Alltel about to take effect

Verizon Wireless purchased Alltel in January and the integration will be happening over the next couple of months. Verizon is about to become the largest wireless carrier in the country. District manager Debra Smith-Owens said that means better coverage for customers. "We're working diligently together to ensure that it's a smooth transition both for customers and our new employees." During the transition, here's what customers can expect: Within the next couple of months, your Alltel bill and cell phone will be branded "Verizon" As of June first, Alltel customers will have the option to pay their bill at Verizon or Alltel, but by the end of July, all customer service and billing can only be done through Verizon because Alltel stores will no longer exist. Alltel customers will be able to use free mobile-to-mobile minutes with their Verizon friends without cutting into their plan's minutes. Customers will be able to keep their cell phone number, payment and insurance plan, and Mycircle numbers until the end of their contract. After the conversion, most Alltel cell phones will work on the Verizon network, but a small percentage of older phones will not. In that case, you'll have to purchase a Verizon phone... Verizon customer Cliff Walton is concerned about the merge. “I used to have Cingular, and when Cingular merged with AT&T, I had dropped calls, it was lousy service, so I came over here to Verizon and I'm very happy with Verizon." Walton hopes the same doesn't happen this time around. "I just hope that the service keeps up." You can switch over to Verizon before the transition is complete, but be warned, you may be subject to Alltel’s early termination fees. So read the fine print before making any decisions. A spokeswoman for Verizon said as of now, no Alltel employees will lose their jobs. The companies are trying to do what they can to avoid layoffs. One employee who is in question is "Chad" from the Alltel commercials. There's talk of integrating marketing platforms, so we may start seeing him in commercials wearing a red shirt instead of his traditional "Alltel blue".