D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
December 2009
BUSINESS BEAT
Hanging Chad
Area Alltel customers await switchover — not to Verizon,
but to AT&T.
On Tucson television commercials, "Chad" the blond Alltel guy is suddenly best buds with the "Can you hear me now?" Verizon spokesman. But on southern New Mexico airwaves, Chad is still happily humiliating the dweeby representatives of Alltel's cell-phone competitors — including Verizon. What's going on, and what does it mean for current customers of Alltel, which was purchased in a recently finalized deal with Verizon?
As we first reported earlier this year, antitrust concerns dictated that the Verizon takeover of Alltel not be truly nationwide. In markets lacking sufficient other cell-phone competition — such as Silver City — regulators didn't allow Verizon to gobble up Alltel. For now, even as Verizon's acquisition is completed in most of the country, customers continue to be served by a sort of ghost of the former Alltel, almost as if nothing had happened to the company. In this alternate cell-phone universe, Chad still relentlessly one-ups the competition, while in the rest of the nation he's forced to make nice with his new owners.
A new Verizon Web page, solutions.vzwshop.com/alltel, lets current Alltel customers enter their ZIP code to see "if you'll become part of Verizon." And indeed, southern New Mexico counties including Grant, Luna and Doa Ana will not be assimilated by Verizon.
But don't get too comfy with Chad if you're an Alltel customer. It's no surprise that what's left of Alltel is now offering "shorter, one-year contracts." According to Kathleen O'Shea, a spokeswoman from Alltel, "Verizon and AT&T have entered into a definitive agreement for AT&T to purchase some of divested markets in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming." Alltel customers throughout southern New Mexico will be part of the AT&T acquisition.
"Verizon Wireless' sale of these properties to AT&T is subject to regulatory review and approval by the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission," O'Shea adds. "Until those approvals are received, the Alltel customers in southern New Mexico, including Grant, Luna and Doa Ana counties, will remain Alltel customers and can still visit Alltel stores in southern New Mexico."
We checked with Erika Ulring, an AT&T spokeswoman, for the latest on when that switchover might happen. Alltel properties in our area, according to Ulring, will become AT&T "once the transaction closes, which we expect will be this quarter (Q4 of 2009)."
Expect a gradual transition — nobody from AT&T will come knocking on your door, demanding that you hand over your Alltel phone. According to Ulring, "Once the transaction is complete, the network conversion is expected to take no longer than 12 months. We will work quickly to ensure a smooth transition for the local subscribers covered in the divested areas, including those in Grant County."
Eventually, current Alltel customers will need new phones. On the bright side, though, AT&T is the exclusive carrier for Apple's industry-leading iPhone, meaning someday Silver City cell-phone users can say, "There's an app for that."
Changing the Signal (Peak)
In other local telecom news, long-time Silver City Internet provider Signal Peak has been acquired by TransWorld Network Corp., in partnership with AZNEX Cooperative Services. Chip Morrish, former general manager of Signal Peak, has joined TWN and will assist in the switchover, expected to be mostly completed by year's end. According to Morrish, TWN's wireless Internet service, Wi-Power, offers speed and reliability that "will greatly improve the former Signal Peak customer's experience."
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., TWN partners with more than 115 electric cooperatives nationwide, including Duncan Valley Electric Cooperative in Arizona, of which AZNEX is a subsidiary. TWN will also take on installation, billing and customer service support to AZNEX Internet customers. Overall, almost 7,000 customers in Arizona and New Mexico get Internet and digital phone service through TWN.
New in Town
Two new salons are serving the beauty needs of Southwest New Mexicans. In Silver City, Kelly Trinkle is opening Curl Up and Dye in the former SOS Books space at 117 E. College. In addition to a full-service salon, Trinkle will also carry the Look Good, Feel Better line of beauty products for cancer patients. And in Las Cruces, Sebastian Leger has opened a hair salon inside the Ramada Palms, 201 E. University Ave. Sebastian's Salon, 532-9097.
If you're not ready for 2010 yet, Silver City yoga instructor Diane Grant can help. Her senior yoga students are featured in photos on a new 2010 calendar, "Ageless Yoga." A fundraising project for the Members Region Arts Council and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, the calendar is available at the arts council office.
Environmentally aware businesses in the Las Cruces area can now join like-minded enterprises in the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce. Organizer Elisa Cundiff of Energy Concepts says the group will meet monthly and already has 200 interested members. Contact her for info, elisa.lucia@gmail.com
On the Move
Soon you can skip the drive down Hwy. 180 to bank at First New Mexico Bank of Silver City. According to First New Mexico's Rebecca Tollefson, the bank's new branch on Hudson Street should be up and running within the next couple of weeks. When we checked, the final wiring was just being installed and workers were putting on the finishing touches, including landscaping.
Creative Visions Landscaping in Arenas Valley has a new home, about a mile east of its old location. Look for your landscaping needs at the former Rockin' R site, 11788 Hwy. 180 E. 574-2250. Owner Mike Davies says the new location, better visible from the road, will let customers see their wide variety of pavers and other landscaping essentials.
When the latest issue of Photo technique magazine hits newsstands later this month, it will join the ranks of products "made in New Mexico." The editorial office of the nationally distributed photography magazine recently relocated to Mesilla, sharing the facility and staff of the Preston Contemporary Art Center. Paul Schranz, director of the center, has been named editor of the bimonthly magazine, which has been publishing for 30 years, originally as Darkroom Techniques and Photo Techniques. The magazine is owned by Preston Publications of Niles, Ill.
Just Wondering
In the Silver City Daily Press’ recent special section for the annual Lighted Christmas Parade, five parade judges “from local media” are listed. Each is identified by media affiliation (CATS, KOOT, Mountain Gazette)—except for Ilene Wignall, ad sales rep for Desert Exposure, who is ID’d only by name. Could that possibly be because only DE competes with the Daily Press for ads?
— David A. Fryxell
Send business news to editor@desertexposure.com