Verizon to give discounts for landline-less bundles

In response to households dropping traditional service in favor of cell phones, Verizon will introduce a Flex Double Play bundle starting some time next week, giving discounts ranging from $8 to $12 a month for those who combine a Verizon Wireless plan with broadband or FiOS TV.

Surveys point to about one in seven U.S. households now lacking landlines.

"We remain very bullish on the traditional copper-based phone service, but we also recognize that there's a growing segment of society that wants to have wireless as its principal home service," said Verizon spokesman Bill Kula.

The discount applies to DSL service with downloads at 3 megabits per second, and to FiOS, or fiber-optic, broadband at up to 20 megabits per second. The fastest DSL plan, at 7 mbps, and the fastest FiOS, at 50 mbps, are not eligible for the bundle.

Adding FiOS TV, Verizon's cable-TV service, on top of wireless and broadband yields another $8 a month in savings. The discount does not apply to the satellite TV service Verizon markets from DirecTV.

AT&T Inc. last year started giving discounts of $4 to $5 a month to people who lack landlines but sign up for wireless and mid-tier DSL service, according to spokesman Michael Coe.

Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of New York-based Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group PLC of Britain.