Verizon Wireless (Cellco Partnership) is a wireless cellular network provider that owns and operates the largest telecommunications network in the United States, based on subscribers. Its headquarters are in Baskin Ridge, New Jersey. It is a joint venture of Verizon Communications and British multi-national cellular mobile network operator Vodafone Group Plc. Verizon Communications owns 55% and Vodafone Group owns 45%. In 2009, Verizon Wireless acquired Alltel Wireless helping expand Verizon’s Wireless network and establishing Verzion as the largest wireless network provider or carrier in the USA.
Verizon is a combination of Bell Atlantic Mobile, NYNEX Communications, Airtouch Communications, PrimeCo Communications, and GTE Mobilnet. In 1995 Bell Atlantic and NYNEX merged to create Bell Atlantic Mobile. In 1999 Airtouch Communications of San Francisco merged with UK based Vodafone Group creating Vodafone Airtouch. Later in 1999, Vodafone Airtouch and Bell Atlantic Mobile formed a joint venture to be called Verizon Wireless. Verizon Wireless began operations in April of 2000.
The name Verizon was derived by the combination of the word Veritas, the Latin word for truth, and the word Horizon. The name Verizon is supposed to conjure images of reliability, certainty, leadership and limitless possibilities.
Verizon is one of two major USA network carriers that uses CDMA technology. The other network provider is Sprint Nextel. Alltel Wireless also uses CDMA technology, but it is now a part of Verizon Wireless. There are other smaller and regional cellular network service providers that use CDMA like: Cricket, US Cellular, and MetroPCS. Verizon supports all three generations of CDMA (IS-95, 1X, and EV-DO) networks. Verizon Wireless offers 3G voice, text and data services.
In 2007 Verizon Wireless announced a joint effort with Vodafone Group to transition their networks to the 4G standard LTE. Verizon began testing and rolling out this service in 2010. Adopting this new wireless network technology will mean a gradual shift from their CDMA technology towards a completely different platform and would make Verizon Wireless phones more compatible with other wireless networks worldwide.
Verizon plans to roll out their fourth generation 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless network at 700MHz. They expect to be in 20 to 30 markets by the second half of 2010. The mobile handsets or devices that will be used on the LTE network will have swappable SIM cards, similar to those found in GSM capable handsets or Japanese CDMA handsets.
Unlockology.com provides unlocking services for Blackberry, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and other cellular mobile phones on the Verizon Network. The handsets must be Quad band and SIM card compatible in order to be unlocked. Unlockology also supplies easy and free how to unlock a Verizon phone instructions. Once unlocked a Verizon blackberry or other compatible phone will work with SIM cards from different GSM network service providers worldwide.
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