AT&T may no longer have a monopoly on ACU students’ mobile devices. Verizon announced earlier this month that it will begin servicing the iPhone 4 on Feb. 10.
Audrey Lundy, the public relations manager for Verizon Wireless in Texas, said Verizon has not announced whether customers could use their pre-existing plans on the iPhone. The only thing they will do for certain is to start selling iPhone 4s with a new two-year customer agreement.
She also said Verizon had not made public any plans to represent itself at ACU, though that was still a possibility.
Kay Reeves, executive director of Information Technologies, said Verizon has made no concrete offer to ACU yet, though ACU has approached the company. Although neither side has made a decision, Reeves said ACU is still exploring this new possibility for its mobile-learning technology.
“We are definitely entertaining the idea of offering a choice for students,” Reeves said. “We talked with them once, and we will be talking to them again in the next week or two.”
Jade Jung, senior biochemistry major from South Korea, said she likes Verizon better than AT&T. She had a plan with Verizon before getting her iPhone at ACU.
“Verizon gave better reception,” Jung said. “And AT&T’s deposit was bigger compared to Verizon’s.”
Alyssa Bowyer, senior speech pathology major from Granger, Ind., said she probably would have gotten an iPhone if she could have gotten a Verizon plan with it, but chose to get an Android phone since AT&T was the only option.
“I like that Verizon is selling the iPhone because I have a Macintosh computer and would love a phone that has better compatibility,” Bowyer said. “However, now that I know how well the Droid compares, I would probably go with whatever cost less.”