No surprises here – Verizon Wireless purchased Alltel and we fully expected Big Red to merge assets over the next year. Of course a lot of this is logistically complex and might not come for some time. But one thing that has been done immediately is the combination of networks for the purpose of “IN” calling.

Verizon Wireless subscribers can now call and text message Alltel subscribers as part of their IN network. It does, however, come with 2 major caveats:

• This does not work for Alltel customers calling Verizon customers
• Not all Alltel numbers are supported because they are being gradually added. Visit Verizon’s new Mobile to Mobile page to see if it’ll work.

Mobile To Mobile page? That’s right… Verizon is dropping their apparently not-catch-enough “IN Network” in favor of Alltel’s Mobile to Mobile calling and texting terminology.

Whaddaya think of THAT, Chad?

[Via BGR]