Verizon Wireless, a wireless service provider, and OnStar, a provider of in-vehicle safety, security and information services, announced on June 16 the availability of the America's Choice with OnStar service plan. With the new plan, customers can use their Verizon Wireless phones outside the vehicle and send calls from their handheld phones to OnStar-embedded in-vehicle phones. America's Choice with OnStar is the first calling plan that integrates handheld wireless service with a fully embedded, voice-activated in-vehicle phone and gives customers the convenience and simplicity of receiving one bill. The America's Choice with OnStar plan lets customers use their Verizon Wireless plan minutes to make and receive calls on their handheld Verizon Wireless phones and OnStar in-vehicle phones and drivers can simply transfer incoming calls from their Verizon Wireless handset to the embedded phone in their OnStar-equipped vehicle. Customers can select from two options:

• Immediate Call Forwarding - Customers can forward all calls from their Verizon Wireless handheld phones directly to their in-vehicle OnStar phones.
  

• Conditional Call Forwarding - Customers can select to have the Verizon Wireless handheld phones ring four to five times before the call is forwarded to the in-vehicle OnStar phone. With this option, subscribers have the flexibility of answering either their handheld or in-vehicle phone.
  In mid July, Verizon Wireless' America's Choice with OnStar plan will be available in the Atlanta, Kansas City, New York, San Francisco, and the greater metro Detroit markets. The service will continue to rollout and should be available throughout the Verizon Wireless service area in the following several months. OnStar's digital hardware allows for more secure calling, improved voice recognition and faster, continuous digit dialing. The embedded digital phone is compatible with CDMA wireless service. OnStar subscribers with new OnStar digital hardware can sign up for the America's Choice with OnStar service plan by updating existing Verizon Wireless customer agreements or by obtaining a new Verizon Wireless agreement.