Verizon Wireless snaps up West Virginian GSM carrier

Verizon Wireless announced it purchased rural carrier West Virginia Wireless for an undisclosed sum. Verizon Wireless said it will spend the next 15 months converting the rural carrier’s GSM network to CDMA technology.
The spectrum licenses that make up part of West Virginia Wireless’ assets cover 1.2 million people in 22 West Virginia counties, five counties in Kentucky, three in Virginia and two in Ohio. That area includes two interstate corridors as well as the Greenbriar resort in White Sulpher Springs and Marshall University in Huntington, W.V.
Verizon Wireless will serve its new customers under the West Virginia Wireless name for the time being. The national carrier said that it had offered employment to all West Virginia Wireless employees and that all of the company’s stores will remain open during the network conversion. The stores will be re-branded under the Verizon Wireless name once the network transition is complete. Verizon said that it would send a letter to customers in the coming months notifying them of the change and their service, and offering them upgrade options.
Verizon said it will replace the carrier’s GSM network with a high-speed CDMA network, but did not specify whether it would be CDMA 1x, EV-DO or EV-DO Revision A.
Verizon Wireless is in the process of upgrading its CDMA network to Rev. A technology.
According to its Web site, West Virginia Wireless was started in 2002 and has nine retail locations. The carrier also has a partnership with Marshall University in which it provides wireless service to the college’s students, as well as an affinity wireless program for alumni, faculty and staff.