Verizon DSL Connection to be sold at Wal-Mart

By Johanne Torres

TMCnet Contributing Editor

 

Thanks to a partnership between Verizon Communications and Wal-Mart, shoppers at 549 of the retail giant's stores across 24 states can soon get connected with Verizon Online DSL when they visit the stores' Wal-Mart Connection Center departments.

 

"Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer, with more than 138 million customers shopping there every week in the U.S.," said Mary Yarbrough, vice president, channel development for Verizon, in a statement. "Now that more than half of all new broadband customers in America are choosing DSL over cable high-speed Internet service, Wal-Mart is the perfect place for us to both educate consumers about the benefits of our DSL service and to sign up customers who are ready to buy. Verizon Online DSL's combination of fast connections, superior service and affordable pricing is an ideal fit with Wal-Mart's focus on giving its value-conscious shoppers customer satisfaction and 'Every Day Low Prices.'"

 

The stores will have specially trained workers dubbed Wal-Mart Connection Center associates at the 549 stores to help shoppers use an automated ordering system that checks eligibility for Verizon DSL service and then lets them quickly place their order. A three-step, do-it-yourself installation kit will be shipped directly to the customer once the order is completed.

 

Nearly 50 of the Wal-Mart stores will also have Spanish-language sales materials to assist Spanish-speaking customers with their purchasing decisions. Verizon Online DSL is already offered in 10 Wal-Mart stores and will be in all of the 549 stores by the end of June.

 

At Wal-Mart, Verizon Online offers a DSL speed service starting at $17.99 a month, plus fees and taxes, for a maximum connection speed of 768 kilobits per second (Kbps) downstream and 128 Kbps upstream with an annual service agreement. Qualifying customers can also order service with a maximum connection speed of up to 3.0 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 768 Kbps upstream for a promotional price of $17.99 a month for the first six months and $34.99 a month thereafter, plus fees and taxes, with an annual agreement.

 

Verizon made news earlier this week when it introduced VoIP Security Assessment Service, to manage and identify security risks associated with VoIP-based technologies. The new offering, supported by a Verizon Business team of nearly 300 expert security pros, tackles the growing worry over VoIP security at a time when more and more companies are deploying the IP-based technology.

 

Verizon Communications Inc.

Wal-Mart

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Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet and Internet Telephony magazine. To see more articles by Johanne Torres, please visit Johanne's columnist page.