America's
Choice with Onstar Gives Customers Option To Use Verizon Wireless Minutes
With Handset or Onstar-Embedded Phone and Convenience Of One Bill
June
16, 2004 -- BEDMINSTER, NJ and
TROY, MI - Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless service provider, and
OnStar, the nation's leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security and information
services, announced today the availability of the America's Choice with OnStar
service plan. With the new plan, customers can use their Verizon Wireless phones
outside the vehicle and send calls from their handheld phones to OnStar embedded
in-vehicle phones. America's Choice with OnStar is the first calling plan that
integrates handheld wireless service with a fully embedded, voice-activated in-vehicle
phone and gives customers the convenience and simplicity of receiving one bill.
"The
America's Choice with OnStar calling plan lets our customers use their Verizon
Wireless minutes inside their OnStar-equipped vehicles, giving them access to
our award-winning wireless service with the additional conveniences of hands-free
voice-activated dialing and a single bill," said John Stratton, chief marketing
officer for Verizon Wireless. "Through
our relationships with the world's largest automaker and the nation's leading
wireless provider, we are able to respond to our subscribers' requests to offer
increased mobile connectivity," said Chet Huber, president of OnStar, a wholly
owned subsidiary of General Motors. "The availability of this handheld option
is a natural extension of OnStar's industry leadership in the delivery of safety,
security and communications inside the vehicle." The
America's Choice with OnStar plan lets customers use their Verizon Wireless plan
minutes to make and receive calls on their handheld Verizon Wireless phones and
OnStar in-vehicle phones and drivers can simply transfer incoming calls from their
Verizon Wireless handset to the embedded phone in their OnStar-equipped General
Motors vehicle. Customers can select from two options: - Immediate
Call Forwarding - Customers can forward all calls from their Verizon Wireless
handheld phones directly to their in-vehicle OnStar phones.
- Conditional
Call Forwarding - Customers can select to have the Verizon Wireless handheld phones
ring four to five times before the call is forwarded to the in-vehicle OnStar
phone. With this option, subscribers have the flexibility of answering either
their handheld or in-vehicle phone.
In
mid July, the Verizon Wireless' America's Choice with OnStar plan will be available
in the Atlanta, Kansas City, New York, San Francisco and the greater metro Detroit
markets. The service will continue to roll out and should be available throughout
the Verizon Wireless service area in the following several months. "Hands-free,
cell phone communication in the automobile is one of the top wireless applications
vehicle owners are interested in," said Thilo Koslowski, lead automotive
analyst and vice president, Gartner. "A successful communication solution
will focus on reliability, flexibility and affordability by allowing customers
to continue using their existing cellular phones and service contracts when making
calls from their vehicles." The
affordability of digital makes the America's Choice with OnStar calling plan possible.
OnStar's improved digital hardware allows for more secure calling, improved voice
recognition and faster, continuous digit dialing. The embedded digital phone is
compatible with CDMA wireless service. OnStar
subscribers with new OnStar digital hardware can sign up for the America's Choice
with OnStar service plan by updating existing Verizon Wireless customer agreements
or by obtaining a new Verizon Wireless agreement. OnStar subscribers can learn
more about the calling plan by contacting OnStar at the toll-free number, 888-4-ONSTAR
(888-466-7827). New OnStar subscribers will receive information about the plan
from OnStar during the first few months of their subscription. About
Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of
wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice
and data network and 40 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon
Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE
and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com.
To receive broadcast-quality video footage of Verizon Wireless operations, log
onto www.thenewsmarket.com.
About
OnStar OnStar, available on more than 50 models from General Motors and
select models from six other auto manufacturers, is the nation's leading provider
of in-vehicle safety, security and information services using the Global Positioning
System (GPS) satellite network and wireless technology. OnStar services include
automatic notification of air bag deployment, stolen vehicle location assistance,
emergency services, roadside assistance with location, remote door unlock, GM
Goodwrench remote vehicle diagnostics, route support and convenience services.
OnStar Personal Calling allows drivers to make and receive hands-free, voice-activated
phone calls through a nationwide cellular network and access a wide range of other
information services. Additional information is available at www.onstar.com |