> What will this change do for existing Verizon customers and their
> > phones? Will they be forced to buy new handsets?
>
> Eventually you'll have to buy a new handset for the same reason that AMPS
> users have had to bite the bullet and buy a CDMA or GSM handset. You'll
> probably want to buy a new handset sooner than that if you want to use
> LTE's higher data rate and other goodies.
Only I just bought a handset and the contract is for two years. I presume for the next two years the existing network will still be supported, indeed, I suspect many phones VZ is selling today are still CDMA phones.
I will say that as a former AMPS user they did give me an attractive transition offer in terms of handset and plan. I was afraid I'd be forced onto their typical $40/month plan and have to buy $$$ handset, but they gave a break. (The one thing I didn't like was that the breaks came solely from a special 800 promotion just for AMPS customers. Visiting a kiosk or VZ store gave terrible deals, the net was a little better.)
People who work in call centers complained here of consumer harassment and attempts to cheat out of obligations. But when companies offer back door discounts, people realize they need to push hard for them even when they're not available.