Verizon’s Wireless Internet Broadband Service

Verizon’s wireless services are among the company’s most popular options. The company is the largest wireless provider in the United States both in terms of the annual revenue and in terms of the number of subscribers. The company earned almost $44 billion in 2007 and currently has more than 87 million subscribers which is roughly 9 million more than AT & T has using their services. But the numbers don’t necessarily mean that Verizon is going to be the best choice for your wireless services. To determine that, you need to evaluate what Verizon has to offer in terms of coverage, plans, and cell phones.

The Coverage

Verizon has some of the best coverage of any wireless company in the United States. Most of the Midwest and the southeastern parts of the country have full digital coverage. The western and northeastern parts of the county have coverage but it’s more sporadic. Most of Hawaii also has digital coverage while most of Alaska does not. Puerto Rico also has a good amount of digital coverage through Verizon’s network.

Because of the sporadic coverage in parts of the country, you should check your area before choosing Verizon as your wireless provider.

The Plans

Verizon’s wireless service comes in three types: individual, family, and prepaid. Individual plans are meant for single people who have good enough credit to secure their own service. The prepaid plans would be a good choice for people with bad credit, people who want to carefully budget their calling costs, or parents who want their children to have a cell phone without worrying about sky high bills. Family plans are obviously more appropriate for couples and families who have multiple cell phones and don’t mind sharing minutes.

In both the Individual and the Family plans, four levels of plans are available: Basic, Select, Connect, and Premium. Within the individual plans, all four levels come with the option of 450, 900, 1350, or unlimited minutes. The higher number of minutes is going to increase the price dramatically. For example, the Nationwide Premium service ranges in monthly price from $80 for 450 minutes to $140 for unlimited minutes. Within the family plans, all four plans come with a larger range of possible minute choices: 700, 1400, 2100, 3000, 4000, and unlimited. These minutes are shared among everyone on the plan so a larger number of minutes is usually required. With the Nationwide Premium service for families, the cost starts at $140 for 700 minutes and goes up to $270 for unlimited minutes.

The family packages in all four levels allow you to choose ten different numbers from your friends and family to whom you can have unlimited calling. However, this only applies to plans including 1,400 or fewer minutes. Beyond that similarity, each of the four levels do have their own features.

The Basic plans are only for voice service. Web browsing and text messaging services cost more to use. For example, each text message will cost an additional 20 cents. Sending pictures or video messages will also cost an extra fee. With the Select plans, sending text messages and sending pictures is included. Web browsing does still cost extra. The Connect plans include unlimited web browsing, text messaging, picture messaging, as well as mobile email. Finally, the Premium plans offer everything available in the Connect plans, as well as V Cast support and VZ Navigator.

This gives you some idea of the differences between the levels of plans. Clearly, you will have options when it comes to plans. Remember you can always adjust your plan, even though you have a contract. The contract only means you can’t go elsewhere for your wireless services. Additionally, some phones may require you to purchase additional packages.

The Phones

One of the most popular types of phones sold through Verizon are the Blackberry Smartphones. The Pearl, the Curve, and the Storm are all available. However, if you want to receive the discounted prices on the phones and if you want to take advantage of all of the phone’s features, you’ll need to purchase additional plans. Blackberry Email service is a requirement and costs an additional $30 to $45. Text messaging bundles can be added for $5 to $20 depending on the number of texts you can send. If you don’t want one of the bundles, you’ll have to pay per text message.

When you’re a new Verizon wireless customer, you can often phones for free. These are typically going to be low on frills. Some may even be missing fairly common features, such as a camera. Other phones are available at a significant discount. However, make sure you pay attention to what is required to get the rebate. For example, some of the phones will require that you subscribe to a certain service for a particular amount of time. Additionally, a one or two year contract is going to be required.

Other Available Features

When you become a Verizon wireless customer, you’ll gain access to a number of different features that can enhance your calling experience. You can find ring tones, as well as ringback tones. Wallpapers, games, and navigation services are also available. These features will cost you extra but those fees will normally be added to your monthly bill.

Depending on the phone you choose, other features may also be available. For example, on some phones you can add photos of the people who are in your address book and their faces will appear when they call you.

Overview

The bottom line with Verizon wireless is that you’re going to find a wide range of plans that will fit almost any need. Whether you need a family plan for you and your children or you just want to have an individual plan so you can make the most of your Smartphone, you’ll find the best array of plans available. Make sure you have a pretty good idea of the number of minutes your family would need before buying so you don’t end up spending too much.