Verizon Wireless adds handset, bundles data, voice

Verizon Wireless has added a handset and bundled data and voice plans for business customers.

The carrier is now supporting the Samsung SCH - i730 Pocket PC, designed for large account customers. New plans that combine voice minutes, unlimited nights and weekends for voice calling and unlimited data access from a PDA, Smartphone or BlackBerry will be available from June 27.

 The combined voice and data plans for the carrier's BroadbandAccess or NationalAccess services are:

• 450 anytime voice minutes, plus unlimited data and unlimited nights and weekends for $80 per month, a savings of $5 if purchased separately.
• 1,350 anytime minutes/unlimited data/unlimited nights and weekends for $110 per month, a savings of $15.
• 3,000 anytime minutes/unlimited data/unlimited nights and weekends for $170 per month, a savings of $25.

Verizon just announced new data pricing for NationalAccess and BroadbandAccess last month. NationalAccess allows customers to access the Internet, an intranet, e-mail, attachments and business applications from their laptops at average speeds of 60K to 80K bit/sec, and bursts of up to 144K bit/sec.

BroadbandAccess is Verizon Wireless' premier EV-DO-based data service, offering customers average speeds of 400K to 700K bit/sec, and capable of bursts up to 2M bit/sec.

All of Verizon Wireless PDAs and Smartphones can access Intellisync's Wireless Sync feature, an "always-on" capability also announced last month that delivers "push" e-mail, and access to calendar and contacts for mobile customers.

At Verizon Wireless retail outlets, the Samsung SCH-i730 costs $600 with a two-year agreement. Enterprise pricing was not disclosed.