USCellular - Alltel - Walmart Joined to offer "U Prepaid" in 500 retail stores

[503ducati]

http://www.uscellular.com/about/pres...EXT-MONTH.html

http://www.dailywireless.org/2012/04...elus-cellular/


U.S. CELLULAR AND ALLTEL WIRELESS JOIN TOGETHER TO OFFER PREPAID WIRELESS SERVICE IN NEARLY 500 WALMART STORES NEXT MONTH

Wireless carriers expand distribution to give customers more options for wireless service

CHICAGO AND LITTLE ROCK (April 30, 2012) – U.S. Cellular (NYSE: USM) and Alltel Wireless have joined together to begin offering U Prepaid, a no contract wireless service, in select Walmart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) in local communities across 18 states beginning in May. The alliance, the first of its kind in the industry, offers customers flexible payment options without signing a contract.

"Teaming with Alltel to gain distribution in Walmart gives us another opportunity to be where our customers want to shop and to offer more customers a prepaid service that helps them control their monthly budgets," said Carter S. Elenz, executive vice president of sales and customer service for U.S. Cellular. "U Prepaid customers with U.S. Cellular will be backed by our high-speed network, which has the highest call quality and network satisfaction of any national carrier."

The new alliance provides Walmart customers simplified, easy-to-understand service plan choices. Depending on where customers live, the U Prepaid service will run on either U.S. Cellular's high-speed national network or Alltel's advanced coast-to-coast network.

"Alltel is proud to bring the strength and equity of our U Prepaid brand to U.S. Cellular to create this unique alliance," said Lesa Handly, chief marketing officer for Alltel Wireless. "Together, we can leverage our position as the "local" wireless carrier offering a hometown alternative in the communities we serve."

Customers will be able to select one of four U Prepaid devices that best meets their personal needs. The Android-powered Samsung Repp is a touchscreen smartphone for customers who want to stay productive while on the go. The LG Attune/LG Exchange and LG Saber make staying connected to friends and family easy with full QWERTY keyboards, and the Samsung Chrono provides the features and functionality for customers who prefer to use their phone for calling and texting.

Customers will be able to choose from a variety of value-packed plans to match how they use their phones. There are multiple data options and plans that include unlimited talk and texting. All of the plans are nationwide with no roaming charges.

About U.S. Cellular
U.S. Cellular's award-winning high-speed nationwide network has the highest call quality of any national carrier and features a strong line-up of cutting-edge devices. The Chicago-based carrier was named a J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Champion in 2012 for the second year in a row. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.

About Alltel Wireless
Alltel Wireless, marketed by Allied Wireless Communications Corporation (AWCC), is America's longest running wireless brand serving customers in six states. The Little Rock, AR-based carrier's signature Best Value Unlimited plan helps customers stretch their dollars further. Combined with leading smartphone and feature phone devices delivered on an advanced network, Alltel Wireless offers consumers one of the most compelling values in the wireless industry. AWCC is a subsidiary of Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATNI). For more information, please visit http://alltelwireless.com or http://awcc.com.

[ilvla2]

I bet we will get that in our Walmart's in Ukiah and Clearlake, since we're in a U.S. Cellular served area. The only other Walmart's that are in a USCC served area in NorCal are Crescent City and Susanville. Eureka won't let Walmart build there (big surprise lol), otherwise they would definitely have one too.

[imacg32007]

If this is coming to tennessee im going to buy one of those LG Attunes on it. I hope they use the same Alltel U prepaid plans they did because you could get good services for so cheap

[Fallstar]

That'll be nice to have USCC represented once again in the local Walmart. They used to have a kiosk in-store, but took that out and built a new dedicated corporate store. Right now they (Walmart) have a small kiosk/counter with the three major carriors' phones and another with prepaid offerings.

[ilvla2]

That'll be nice to have USCC represented once again in the local Walmart. They used to have a kiosk in-store, but took that out and built a new dedicated corporate store. Right now they (Walmart) have a small kiosk/counter with the three major carriors' phones and another with prepaid offerings.

Our Ukiah Walmart used to have a in-store kiosk too, it started out as Contel Wireless, who was later absorbed into GTE, who then of course went into Verizon. Well, Verizon eventually went out of that and sold it to a local USCC affiliate, DFM Car Stereo, Verizon then opened a kiosk in Safeway, then closed that after about a year and opened a new corporate store in Ukiah about 2 years ago. About 3 years ago DFM shut down the USCC Kiosk in Wal Mart, and our Walmart currently only sells prepaid phones and phone cards, it has no kiosk or communications center. USCC's current corporate store is by Raley's, but they are building a new one across from Walmart by Savings Bank of Mendocino County.

Edit-Verizon, USCC and AT&T (formerly Edge Wireless) all have corporate stores in Ukiah, T-Mobile and Metro PCS only have authorized dealers though. USCC also has corporate stores in Clearlake, Eureka and Crescent City, they used to have one in Fort Bragg too but it closed a couple of years ago. By the way, USCC is on the A Band here, and Verizon is on the B Band, though nowdays nobody but us old guys use those terms lol Ukiah actually was without a Verizon corporate store for about a year, between the time when the Safeway kiosk closed and the new corporate store opened.

[Fallstar]

That's funny, the USCC store here is on adjacent to the Walmart too. The phone "board" in Walmart, the one with AT&T/Tmobile/Sprint, is kind sad/pathetic. More than half of the dummy/demo phones are missing, and everything else is old and outdated.

[ilvla2]

That's funny, the USCC store here is on adjacent to the Walmart too. The phone "board" in Walmart, the one with AT&T/Tmobile/Sprint, is kind sad/pathetic. More than half of the dummy/demo phones are missing, and everything else is old and outdated.

We don't even have that in the Ukiah Walmart, just prepaid phones and cards. The Walmart in Clearlake and Crescent City both have a "board", but they look as sad as yours. lol Walmart just tried to do a major expansion of their Ukiah store, stupidly the Mendocino County Planning Commission turned it down, on a good note though Ukiah is getting a Costco.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article...CLES/120419870

It really makes no sense, one of the reasons they said they turned it down is because the expanded grocery department would put stores in town (like Lucky, Safeway, Raley's) out of business, but if that's true why didn't they say that about Costco? Costco as you know sells HUGE amount of groceries, and at awesome prices. I am excited to get a Costco, the nearest one is 70 miles south in Santa Rosa so we only get down there about once a month. Ukiah is the regional shopping/work/travel hub for Mendocino, Lake, Northern Sonoma and Southern Humboldt Counties, so it's a great place for a Costco.

Edit-People will continue to go to the larger and better stocked Windsor and Rohnert Park Walmart's from here, tax dollars that will continue to flow to Sonoma County. However, Costco should help bring a lot in. Speaking of Costco's, the one in Santa Rosa is in the top 5 in the world in sales.

[eaddict]

I still won't step into a WalMart no matter what they offer...

[ilvla2]

I still won't step into a WalMart no matter what they offer...

I have no problem with shopping there. In rural areas like this Walmart provides a good selection and good prices, two things we are often lacking.