Image by 20090103-alltel.gif Verizon's character has been a bit quieter in Alltel's commercials of late.

Verizon Wireless will complete its $28.1 billion purchase of Alltel on January 9. Verizon Wireless will be the country's largest wireless carrier with some 78 million subscribers.

With SunCom bought by T-Mobile and Alltel going to Verizon, the South's big cellphone providers have been eaten up.

Read all about it at Arkansas News.

Alltel is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, and it is expected that many of the cities 3,000 jobs tied to that employer will move elsewhere.

Recently, Verizon's call center in Charleston sought an additional 65 employees.