Verizon to Offer New Flat-Rate Plan

Verizon Wireless Inc. will unveil a flat-rate plan in June for customers who want to surf the Web or check e-mail from mobile phones and laptop computers as it tries to stake a claim in a new market.

The No. 1 U.S. wireless phone company also said it will expand the service, Express Network, to 29 more U.S. cities today and offer a per-minute price plan to include both voice and data. With the roll-out, the service will be accessible to about 60% of the company’s potential market.

The Bedminster, N.J.-based firm, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Britain’s Vodafone Group, launched Express Network in January. The initial price plan, which cost customers an extra $30 to use minutes from their voice plans for data, was criticized as expensive and confusing. The $30 charge comes on top of base rates of $35 to $150.