This is suddenly a hot topic. New phones are appearing on a rival network, but you are still under contract with your current operator. Canceling your contract will result in an early termination fee of up to $200, but what do you do if you want to keep your current number when you switch provider?

In most cases, it’s possible to port your number from operator A to operator B, without the contract at operator A coming to an end (and resulting in that ETF).

Once you’ve done the number port by calling operator B, call operator A and tell them you want a "win-back". This will assign your old line a new number and keep it active, thus avoiding the pain of the termination fee. In most cases you’ll see the ETF on your invoice, but once you do the win-back, it will be credited right away, so don’t wait too long to call them.

Of course, this means you’ll be stuck paying for 2 lines, but if you only have a couple of months left with operator A, then it means you can get that shiny new iPhone/Blackberry you’ve been dreaming of.

Of course, sooner or later all operators will have pro-rated termination fees, making this entire post obsolete.

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From rumor to purchase in under 24 hours… That has to be a new record. The deal is worth $28.1 billion, which includes a massive $22 billion in Alltel debt. The combination will have almost 80 million subscribers which  makes it the largest operator in the world.

The deal is schedule for completion by December 2008 and the press releases make it obvious that Verizon fully intends to merge Alltel into the existing customer pool. Poor Alltel subscribers

Source: Bloomberg

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The "big 5" US mobile operators are possibly going to become the "big 4".

MSNBC reports that Verizon is willing to drop a whopping $27 Billion on Alltel, turning them into the largest operator (by far) in the world.

Unlike previous mergers in the mobile marketplace (Sprint+Nextel), this one would be much easier, since both operators use the same wireless technology (CDMA) and even have a very similar handset lineup.

The culture differences between both companies may prove to be the biggest hurdle; Alltel is an highly rated operator, with award winning customer service, and Verizon is known for useless service and mind boggling policies.

It’s also too early to determine whether Verizon would convert Alltel customers into Verizon victims, or leave things the way they are. Either way, Verizon would save millions a year on roaming costs they current pay Alltel. My one hope is that Chad (the Alltel commercial guy) can finally put the "can you hear me now" guy out of his misery. That alone would be worth $27 Billion to me.

Source: MSNBC

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