Verizon Wireless will open its doors over the weekend to serve former Alltel and new customers in Albert Lea. This weekend marks the completion of the rebranding of Alltel stores to Verizon Wireless and the billing conversion for former Alltel stores in Albert Lea.

Former customers of Alltel and new customers are invited to visit one of the following Verizon Wireless locations in Albert Lea on Oct. 19:

Verizon Wireless Communications Store, 2718 Bridge Ave.

Pro Cellular, premium Verizon Wireless retailer, 2324 Hendrickson Rd.

“We have worked diligently over the past 10 months to ensure that the transition to Verizon Wireless will be as seamless as possible for former Alltel customers,” said Nancy Clark, Verizon Wireless Great Plains Region president, in a news release. “Verizon Wireless now welcomes the opportunity to deliver to these customers the best value in wireless today, which includes the best network, best products and services and best customer service in the industry.”

Verizon Wireless completed its purchase of Alltel in January and since then has been preparing to integrate the two companies’ billing systems and to re-brand and re-merchandise stores so it can better transition former Alltel customers and welcome new customers to Verizon Wireless.

The company has also begun integrating its network with that of Alltel — re-homing cell sites to the Verizon Wireless network and upgrading Alltel’s high-speed data network — and expects to complete the entire integration within the next two years, according to the release.