KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — When Verizon’s new phone service kicks in for residents of Kadena and Misawa air bases in two weeks, it’ll come with 100 minutes of free calls to the U.S. each month.
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service announced Monday that the free long-distance calls are among several new benefits for residents of the two bases. They will also receive free voice mail, call waiting, caller ID and call-blocking features on their home phones.
Basic phone service will cost $36 per month at both bases, AAFES said.
Misawa customers also will be able to subscribe to Verizon’s high-speed 12 Mbps Internet service, which is 400 percent faster than the current service SoftBank offers on base, AAFES announced.
The change to a commercial provider was required to comply with military guidelines that no longer authorize the use of DSN phone lines for unofficial calls, AAFES said.
Telephone service will be transferred automatically when it debuts March 30 at Misawa and March 31 at Kadena. However, residents will be assigned new phone numbers.
Phone and Internet plan detailsAdditional information is available through the new Verizon storefronts at both bases or by visiting www.verizonbusiness.com/kadenaphonebook.
Internet customers must sign up in person for the new service at the Verizon storefronts in the base exchanges. Because the current Internet service will be discontinued on March 31, residents must sign up for the new service by March 23 to prevent a break in service, AAFES announced.
