For some time Verizon Wireless has been the isolationist amongst the cellular carriers; stubbornly refusing to cooperate with the outside world. Their phones are like aristocratic members of the old British Empire: they stop working the moment they cross the border.

Now I notice on Verizon’s website, tucked away in the virtual equivalent of attic-space, their Global Phone – a phone you can use when you’re in America and when you’re in Foreignerland. One can only imagine the conversation in the boardroom.

“Sir, you’ll never guess what I saw while I was on vacation.”
“What’s that Norblatt?”
“Well, wherever I went, the foreigners were using cell phones. Kind of like ours. And it got me to thinking; what if you could use one of our phones in this place too?”
“Why would anyone want to do that, Norblatt?”
“Well, suppose some of our customers wanted to travel abroad, you know on business or something like that.”
“And why would they want to do that?”
“I’m not sure. But it’s kinda like when I had this idea and I wanted to call you sir. But I couldn’t.”
“And why’s that Norblatt?”
“Well I use Verizon Wireless Sir.”

On the Verizon map of the world there be no dragons in far flung places anymore. There be cellular service. Congratulations.