News : Verizon offers small businesses unlimited wireless

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday launched an unlimited wireless calling service for small businesses, amid growing competition with AT&T Inc (T.N: Quote, Profile, Research) to grab corporate customers.

Verizon said corporate clients that also subscribe to its "Freedom for Business" unlimited long-distance service can get unlimited calls on Verizon Wireless to phone numbers on the same carrier. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture with Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L: Quote, Profile, Research).

The plan will also include unlimited calls to up to five landline phone numbers, with a fixed monthly fee of $4.99 per wireless line.

Verizon Wireless launched a $99-a-month unlimited calling plan for consumers in February. AT&T and other U.S. carriers quickly followed, sparking fears of a price war.

Verizon Wireless is now the No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier but is set to overtake AT&T for the top spot if a planned acquisition of rural wireless carrier Alltel goes through.

While the popularity of mobile phones has been the key sales driver for AT&T and Verizon in recent years, the companies also see businesses as a key source of growth.

(Reporting by Ritsuko Ando; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)