August 14 - 12:00pm EDT   Verizon has just edged out long-time champion T-Mobile in its ability to help cellular customers, according to the results of a new JD Power study. The research group gave the second-largest carrier the nod for a high score of 103 in the survey, which tracked both carriers' ability to provide an actual solution to a given problem on the phone, in person, or online, as well as the amount of hold time for phone help. Verizon is said to be especially noteworthy for resolving many more of its problems the first time where rivals sometimes require multiple sessions. [full story]

August 11 - 2:55pm EDT   MetroPCS will use the same fourth-generation (4G) cellular data access as larger carriers, the company has revealed while discussing its latest quarterly results. Though small, the provider says it will switch its network from its existing CDMA format to the same Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard that will be used by AT&T, Verizon and the latter's recent buyout target Alltel. [full story]

June 27 - 12:25pm EDT   Estimates that the iPhone will become a widely accepted device are evidence of a bias from those who expect Apple to succeed, Verizon chief Ivan Seidenberg tells the Financial Times in an interview. The executive behind the carrier rebuffs notions that iPhone 3G's up-front price cut to $200 will translate to much larger sales and claims Apple's currently small total marketshare as evidence. Apple is a newcomer that has to prove itself, according to the Verizon head, who also suggests that Verizon itself can be disruptive in a shift to mobile devices from computers. [full story]

June 26 - 4:00pm EDT   Cell phone network provider Alltel today announced it teamed up with Wi-Fi network hotspot provider Boingo to expand Wi-Fi access to over 25,000 hotspots in stores, coffee shops and hotels across the US. Plans will be offered to existing Alltel subscribers, or anyone else on a daily or monthly basis without a contract. The company is also offering a Premium service for frequent travelers, which expands those hotspots to include hundreds of airports in the US and thousands more hotspots in Canada, Mexico and Europe. [full story]

June 23 - 12:40pm EDT   Alltel is finally upgrading its EVDO broadband network to Rev. A speeds, a representative has announced. The initial rollout phase will last approximately six months, and see Rev. come to 18 regions, including cities such as Phoenix, Tampa, Charlotte, New Orleans and Little Rock, as well as a select group of rural areas. The company expects EVDO coverage to grow from 75 of its network to 82 percent by the end of the year, though it has not said how much will be Rev. A. [full story]

June 20 - 1:00pm EDT   A new Samsung phone, the MyShot (SCH-r430), is being adopted by Alltel Wireless. The phone is a fairly basic clamshell design, and primarily features a 1.3-megapixel camera, which saves to an internal memory pool of 20MB. The phone also allows limited web browsing and file downloads, but does not support any broadband options. [full story]

June 5 - 10:35am EDT   Quickly following up on earlier confirmations by its partner Vodafone, Verizon on Thursday said it would buy out Alltel in a cash merger with a total value of about $28.1 billion. The deal is mutually agreed upon and should see the union take place by the end of the year following approvals from the US government; Alltel chief Scott Ford will continue to run Alltel until the deal is completed. [full story]

June 5 - 8:10am EDT   International cellphone provider Vodafone on Thursday confirmed earlier rumors that its US partner Verizon is nearing a buyout of Alltel that observers value at approximately $27 billion. The two American carriers are described as being in "advanced discussions" to strike a deal with a warning that no agreement is certain at this stage. [full story]

June 4 - 4:30pm EDT   The American cellular industry may consolidate once again with a potential Verizon buyout of Alltel, CNBC claims. Referring to anonymous sources said to be aware of the deal, the TV news network asserts that Verizon would pay as much as eight times Alltel's pre-interest, pre-tax earnings, or $27 billion, for the acquisition. The deal would be a friendly takeover as Goldman Sachs and TPG, the financial institutions that took Alltel into private holding just last year, are eager to turn a premium no matter how small. [full story]

May 20 - 3:10pm EDT   (Updated with official word) A coalition of extra-urban cellular service providers is today taking the Federal Communications Commission to task as early as today in an attempt to break incumbents' dominance of the cellphone industry, according to reports. The Rural Cellular Association is expected to petition the FCC to investigate the legality of carriers striking exclusive deals for the iPhone and other handsets that prevent any other carrier from offering a given phone over a certain period. [full story]

May 15 - 2:05pm EDT   Alltel will use Long Term Evolution (LTE) for its next-generation phone network, according to statements made during a conference call discussing the provider's latest financial results. Company chief Scott Ford explained that the technology is Alltel's pick and that LTE will have a "significant" installed base for the company's cellular network within the next three to five years. Ford doesn't say when Alltel will start its rollout, but notes that there is no short-term budget and that nothing will be underway until at least 2009. [full story]

May 3 - 5:05pm EDT   T-Mobile's parent company Deutsche Telekom is seriously considering merging with or taking over Sprint, claims the German national magazine Der Spiegel. A continued weakening of US currency values, combined with worsening results at Sprint, is reportedly leading the European company to investigate transactions that would help T-Mobile USA gain ground in the US market and better compete against AT&T. The opportunity is rare and would cost Deutsche Telekom less than it did to buy VoiceStream in 2001 and assume its role as one of the largest American carriers, according to the report. [full story]

May 2 - 11:20am EDT   Verizon this morning quickly followed up on at least one claim made this week by confirming that its version of the BlackBerry Curve 8330 will be available first on May 9th through the company's online store. The smartphone is the first known version of the CDMA-based Curve to actually reach the market and separates itself from the titanium gray Alltel and Sprint editions both through its silver color as well as access to Verizon's custom VZ Navigator service to take advantage of the true GPS receiver. [full story]

April 21 - 11:50am EDT   Alltel this morning became the third carrier to pick up the BlackBerry Curve 8330. Following quickly in the steps of Sprint and Verizon, the carrier can now lay claim to its own variant of the previously GSM-only Curve and gains 3G Internet access with EVDO as well as native GPS support. Like Sprint's version, Alltel is opting for a more unique titanium color than the silver of the Verizon model but adds support for its own MyCircle calling plans. [full story]

April 2 - 4:05pm EDT   The Motorola Q9c launched at CTIA on Monday in the U.S. and will be available through the Alltel, Verizon and US Cellular networks. The Windows Mobile 6 phone features both 3G over CDMA as well as real GPS navigation. All have a 32GB microSDHC card support and Documents to Go preloaded to make edits to Office files on the road. Difference between carriers center around colors: Verizon's Q9c comes only in black, while Alltel and US Cellular also get a lime trim. Verizon will have the Q9c in April and will sell the phone for $149 with a two-year contract. The other two carriers receive their phones in the summer with pricing to be announced. View the live photos from ... [full story]