Alltel Corp. said it rolled out new rate plans to former Western Wireless Corp. and Cellular One customers who Alltel acquired when it purchased Western Wireless Aug. 1. The new rate plans take advantage of Alltel’s extensive roaming agreements and include its Total Freedom, National Freedom and Greater Freedom plans, as well as its flat-rate Axcess Messaging packages.
The Total Freedom packages provide former Western Wireless customers with nationwide coverage and no roaming or long-distance charges, while the National Freedom packages cover all major U.S. cities and surrounding areas. Both plans start at $40 per month and include unlimited night and weekend and in-network calling from anywhere in the coverage area.
The Greater Freedom plans begin at $30 per month and offer Western Wireless and Cellular One customers expanded local coverage that is not currently available on their local rate plans.
The Axcess Messaging packages include text, picture and video messaging, and begin at $6 per month for 300 messages and top out at $25 per month for unlimited messages.
Alltel noted that the updated rate plans are the first changes it made to the Western Wireless markets since the acquisition, and it plans to enact name and branding changes by the end of the first quarter. Alltel also is looking for a buyer for the Cellular One brand name it is required to divest as part of the acquisition.
