Verizon Wireless

Verizon to Begin Forwarding RIAA "Copyright Notices"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 13, 2009 - 9:17am.
San Francisco - Mobile operator Verizon Wireless will this week begin sending "copyright notices" on behalf of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), to subscribers suspected of illegally downloading songs, CNET News.com reported, citing sources with knowledge of the agreement. The letter reportedly urges the recipient to delete the content they distribute, but does not include threats of potential service interruptions as a penalty.

Verizon Wireless Launches MP3 Store With 5 Million Tracks

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 3, 2009 - 11:05am.
Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) this week added more than 5 million MP3s to its online media store, enabling downloads to its music-enabled handsets and any MP3-capable devices. The company is launching tiered pricing at the store on April 7, when new releases and best-sellers will be priced at $1.29; "most major contemporary releases" will cost 99 cents; and "most classic catalog releases" will sell for 69 cents each.

RealNetworks to Power Verizon V CAST Video Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 11, 2009 - 2:01pm.
Seattle - RealNetworks (NASD: RNWK) announced on Wednesday that it Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) has chosen the company's technology to power its V CAST Video service. The service transitioned to Real's Helix platform last month; Real provides mobile multimedia delivery technology to 80 mobile operators in 42 countries.

Verizon Adds ABC, ESPN to Mobile Video Services

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 26, 2009 - 2:07pm.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) said on Monday that it has signed deals with the Disney/ABC Television Group (NYSE: DIS) and ESPN, that will bring full-length episodes of shows from ABC Entertainment, ABC News and Disney Channel, as well as content from ESPN, to Verizon Wireless V CAST Video and Mobile Web customers. Subscribers to the $15 per month V CAST service now have access to episodes of "Ugly Betty," "Lost," "Hannah Montana" and "Nightline," among others.

tags: Mobile | Video | TV | Verizon Wireless | ABC | ESPN |

Verizon Wireless Picks Microsoft for Mobile Search

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 7, 2009 - 1:41pm.

Las Vegas - Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) has partnered with Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) to become the exclusive mobile search provider on the wireless network operator's phones, Reuters reported. Verizon, which Reuters noted will surpass AT&T as the nation's largest carrier once its Alltel acquisition closes, was also reportedly in talks with Google for the contract.

Verizon Admits Employees Accessed Obama's Cell Account

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 21, 2008 - 11:07am.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) admitted late Thursday that several of its employees broke company rules by accessing and viewing President-elect Barack Obama's personal cell phone account.

Verizon Adds Content Channels to V CAST Mobile TV Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 10, 2008 - 12:11pm.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) on Wednesday announced a slew of content additions to its V CAST Video service, which costs $15 per month. The company added channels from 60Frames, Comedy Time, Discovery Communications, GoTV Networks, G4, The WB, Relix, Scripps Networks and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.

RealNetworks Debuts MP3 Store, Teams with iLike, Verizon

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 30, 2008 - 9:39am.

Seattle - RealNetworks (NASD: RNWK) on Monday unveiled a "Music Without Limits" initiative, which includes the launch of a new DRM-free Rhapsody MP3 store and 100,000 album giveaway, full-song streaming and MP3 sales partnerships with iLike, MTV (NYSE: VIA) and Yahoo (NASD: YHOO), and an unlimited mobile subscription service deal with Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ). The Rhapsody MP3 catalog will include more than 5 million songs from all four major labels, available both for purchase and as full-song samples (25 songs per person per month) -- a feature not available at Apple's iTunes Store.

Pearl Jam to Offer Mobile "Bootleg" Tracks Through Verizon

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 11, 2008 - 11:23am.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Expanding on the band's existing extensive library of live recordings, Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with Pearl Jam to distribute mobile "bootleg" recordings from the band's 12-city U.S. tour this summer.

Verizon Wireless to Acquire Alltel for $28.1 Billion

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 5, 2008 - 10:16am.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) announced on Thursday that it has signed an agreement to pay $28.1 million to acquire Alltel, the Arkansas-based telecommunication services provider. Alltel serves more than 13 million customers in 34 states, including 57 primarily rural markets that Verizon Wireless does not serve.

Verizon Gets Exclusive Madonna Mobile Remix of "4 Minutes"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 14, 2008 - 11:31am.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless said on Monday that it will offer an exclusive "mobile underground remix" of "4 Minutes," the first single from Madonna's upcoming album "Hard Candy." The song, which is produced by Timbaland and features Justin Timberlake, will be available to U.S. Verizon customers and European Vodafone customers as a full-song download, ringtone and ringback tone. The album is slated for release on April 28.

Verizon Wireless Will Use Auctioned Spectrum for Broadband

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 4, 2008 - 10:17am.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) announced on Friday that the spectrum it paid $9.36 billion for in the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) recent 700 MHz auction is "a critical piece of its overall broadband strategy to take advantage of the enormous opportunity for growth in data services in the future."

Verizon Debuts Mobile TV Channels for MTV Tr3s, ESPN Radio

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 28, 2008 - 11:31am.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless announced on Friday that Viacom's MTV Tr3s and Disney's ESPN Radio have launched mobile TV channels exclusively for its V CAST Mobile TV service. The company also launched MySpace Mobile, and mobile sites for Viacom's MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and CMT for subscribers to its "Mobile Web 2.0" service.

FCC Spectrum Auction Nets $19.6B; Winners Not Announced

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 20, 2008 - 6:47am.

Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has raised a record $19.6 billion in its wireless spectrum auction, which closed on Tuesday, though winners of the prized airwaves aren't expected to be revealed for at least three weeks, the Associated Press reported.

Verizon Wireless Gets Exclusive on Mobile "Guitar Hero III"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 20, 2007 - 9:48am.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) on Thursday announced that it acquired exclusive rights to distribute the mobile version of Activision's (NASD: ATVI) "Guitar Hero III," developed by Hands-On Mobile, to its subscribers. The game will cost $4.99 per month or $11.99 for unlimited use.

Verizon Mobile TV Service to Offer 24 Full College Bowl Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 18, 2007 - 8:05am.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Qualcomm's (NASD: QCOM) MediaFLO USA to offer 24 full-length college football bowl games to its V CAST mobile TV service.

Verizon Wireless to Open Network for Outside Devices, Software

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 27, 2007 - 9:31am.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - In a major development for the

Verizon Wireless to Offer 70 Live NBA Games on Mobile TV

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 31, 2007 - 12:05pm.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless said on Wednesday that it will offer more than 70 live, ESPN-produced NBA basketball games on its V CAST Mobile TV service for mobile phones this season. The service will be powered by FLO TV, from Qualcomm's MediaFLO USA unit. The first games available on the service include tonight's match-ups between the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers, and Seattle Supersonics and Denver Nuggets.

Led Zeppelin Catalog Going Digital; Verizon Gets Mobile Exclusive

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 15, 2007 - 9:36am.

Led Zeppelin logoBasking Ridge, N.J. - Longtime digital holdouts Led Zeppelin's catalog will be made available in digital format for the first time on Nov. 13, coinciding with the release of "Mothership," a two-CD greatest hits collection.

Verizon Adds Full-Length Mobile Streams of CBS's Letterman, Ferguson

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 21, 2007 - 12:17pm.

Basking Ridge, N.J. - Verizon Wireless said on Tuesday that it will make full-length episodes of CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" available on its V CAST Video mobile TV service.