Verizon Wireless chief executive officer Dennis Strigl in February said the company planned a 'push-to-talk product well before the end of the year.'Ĭonstruction crews and other businesses with employees on the road are among the biggest users of the phones that also can be used like a walkie-talkie. That may pose a marketing hurdle for competitors such as Verizon Wireless, which have publicly used the phrase.

Nextel is now contacting companies to inform them of the push-to-talk trademark, said Nextel's spokeswoman, Audrey Schaefer. Nextel also filed for a trademark on the acronym PTT. Nextel was granted ownership of the phrase in April after a 15-month review, according to the US Patent and Trademark Office. The company trademarked the phrase 'push to talk,' preventing rivals such as Verizon Wireless from using it to describe their new phones. Nextel is preparing to defend its product. 'That's an attractive place for Verizon to be, and gives their customers another reason not to switch,' said Rick van Nostrand, who helps oversee US$5 billion, including 950,000 Verizon shares, at Earnest Partners in Atlanta. Nextel's customers pay as much as US$20 a month more than others for their service and are less likely to switch mobile service providers.

Nextel push to talk phone