Alltel Sprint roaming deal

Mainly a paper deal at Corporate levels

Sprint and Alltel had a roaming agreement in the past. This 10 year one got roaming prices lowered so more free roaming on Sprint can be offered.

So this means in many markets you can roam on either Verizon or Sprint where Alltel does not have a network. Right now I think Verizon is still the perfered roamer right now, but that can change over time.

When Verizon and Alltel's roaming agreement ends in the spring of 2010 they will make a new agreement most predict it won't be as nice as it is right now, but who know what the future will bring.

 

:hmm: What are the predictions? It seems as if both Alltel and Verizon benefit greatly from the current agreement since Alltel covers huge chunks of land that Verizon does not and Verizon covers other (mainly urban) areas that Alltel does not, especially since both are CDMA. I am far from an expert, but as an average joe customer it seems that both companies would want to avoid flocks of angry customers coming in with roaming charges that have never been charged before?

With these new roaming agreements for Alltel, wouldn't it be more important for Verizon to continue the agreement because of all the more rural land that Alltel covers, whereas most Verizon towers are located in areas also covered by Sprint or Cingular? But I could be completely off base, I'm selfish and hopes it just works out for me, the customer, who hates roaming charges.

 

from what i understand the deal has more to do with data roaming than voice. alltel will be converging prl's to allow customers with smartphones to give a much larger coverage than before. from what i have been told the deal also involves cingular and should be complete by 4th qurter as long as there are no problems. testing has already begn in my market in ohio