Thanks for the reply.
Just to clarify, there doesn't need to be any type of activation through Verizon towers post unlock/root? Does the sim card just re activate the phone automatically, as in it's an internal process on the phone? (sorry if this should be obvious, but I'm new to this.)
I ask because I'm currently living in Alaska and cannot activate the phone up here because we don't have Verizon towers (well, I can activate voice but not the 3G data...) I had to send the phone to the lower 48 to get activated and have it sent back to me. So if I lose the activation I'm hosed