Verizon, Alltel begin integration

Integrating Alltel’s network with Verizon will take at least a year, an official said.

STAFF REPORT

BOARDMAN — A Verizon official met Tuesday with 600 employees of the former Alltel and told them it would be business as usual for some time.

Among those involved were nearly 400 employees of a call center on Boardman-Canfield Road.

Former Alltel operations, including the call center, will be evaluated after the operations of the two companies are integrated, said Roger Tang, Verizon regional president for Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

He met with employees at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman.

Verizon said Friday that it had completed its $5.9 billion acquisition of Alltel. The deal was announced in June.

Tang said the two companies were not able to begin sharing competitive information until the deal was completed so it will take some time before the integration is finished.

The integration of the two companies’ networks will take at least a year, he said.

The Alltel brand will continue to be marketed probably until late summer so Verizon has time to merge billing systems, he said.

CNET News, which provides information on technology and electronics, said it’s not yet clear when or if deals such as Alltel’s My Circle, which allows for unlimited calling between people in a preselected group, will continue.

For now, My Circle will be available to Alltel customers while they are on Alltel’s pricing plan, CNET said. Verizon is considering whether to create a similar plan for new and existing Verizon Wireless customers.