Verizon announced they are adopting a plan similar to Alltel’s popular ‘My Circle’ plan. Verizon is basically adjusting their existing ‘Friends and Family’ plan to include options for 5 (requires a $60/month plan) or 10 (requires a $90/month plan) phone numbers that subscribers can use to make unlimited calls to. Alltel had a 20 number plan as well, but it looks like it didn’t make the cut with Verizon. The phone numbers do not have to be existing Verizon customers and can include both wireline and wireless phone numbers. “This is a milestone in the industry,” said Mike Lanman, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless in a company statement. It’s an interesting quote, considering Alltel had achieved the milestone before Verizon bought them.
Alltel used the ‘My Circle’ plan against competitors, including Verizon, quite effectively. The plan was often featured in their various marketing campaigns, including their successful ‘Chad’ campaign. Verizon competitors, including T-mobile with their myFaves product, have similar plans.
