USA Today: ‘Verizon Rejected Apple iPhone Deal’

Leslie Cauley, reporting for USA Today:

Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 U.S. cellphone carrier, passed on the chance to be the exclusive distributor of the iPhone almost two years ago, balking at Apple’s rich financial terms and other demands.

Among other things, Apple wanted a percentage of the monthly cellphone fees, say over how and where iPhones could be sold and control of the relationship with iPhone customers, said Jim Gerace, a Verizon Wireless vice president. “We said no. We have nothing bad to say about the Apple iPhone. We just couldn’t reach a deal that was mutually beneficial.”

I’m sure Apple negotiated with all the major U.S. carriers, but if their last talks with Verizon were two years ago, I’m not sure how close to a deal this could have been.

★ Tuesday, 30 January 2007