Verizon steps up battle for subscribers

Verizon Wireless, the second largest US mobile network operator, has dropped its monthly fee for its music download service as it steps up the battle to win new subscribers. The company, a joint venture between Verizon Communications and Vodafone, dropped the USD15 a month charge at the same time as it launched a new music-centric handset dubbed ‘Chocolate’ from LG Electronics. Customers buying the new handset or other Verizon-branded mobile phones capable of downloading music and video will in future only pay the USD1.99 per-track download fee. The Verizon Wireless online store currently offers 1.3 million songs for sale, compared with the three million available from Apple’s iTunes store.