MTA, Verizon join forces for cell service

PALMER — The arrival of Verizon in the Valley won’t necessarily mean customers need to switch providers to get the newest shiny gadgets, officials with MTA said.

Both Verizon and MTA will offer Apples newest iPhone, despite an earlier agreement that allowed Verizon to retail through MTA outlets, and had eliminated competition within metro areas, according to MTA Spokeswoman Carolyn Hanson.

That’s possible in part because MTA will continue to offer a different type of cellphone service allowing them to penetrate into more rural areas where Verizon doesn’t have the same coverage, Hanson said. The difference is in the protocols.

Verizon’s presence in the Alaska cellphone market had been limited to data coverage thus far, but the national plan provider activated a voice over network earlier this year, allowing the data coverage to double as a voice network. In the Valley, that would have put them in direct competition with Verizon, until MTA agreed to act as a retail outlet for Verizon phones, according to press releases issued in recent weeks.

Verizon’s entry into the mobile phone market brings to four the number of major cellphone carriers available in the state. It also extends MTA’s reach outside of Alaska by allowing MTA customers to use roaming services on Verizon networks. With the agreement, Verizon gains a foothold in a rapidly growing Alaskan marketplace, said Verizon spokesman Scott Charlston

The use of separate networks allows MTA to sell the phones for use on its own networks, Hanson said.

“This helps expand Verizon’s distribution, while offering residents of the Mat-Su Valley and Eagle River easy access to the nation’s largest and most reliable 4G LTE network,” he said.

The iPhone 6 was released in mid-September to consumers.

Versions of the iPhone 6 offered by MTA range from $199 for the 8 GB version of the basic model to $499 for the 24GB version the premium phone, the iPhone 6 plus.

For more information, visit mta.coop and Verizon.com

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com.