FCC Approves AT&T’s Acquisition of Alltel

Today, the FCC announced that they will approve of AT&T’s acquisition of Alltel. At the beginning of the year, AT&T announced it would be buying Alltel’s customers and spectrum for $780 million. The FCC explained that they were going to stop their informal 180-day time clock to review the transactions because AT&T didn’t provide its plans for transitioning Alltel’s significant pre-paid customer base.

The FCC explained in their report that, “In this Memorandum Opinion and Order, we approve, subject to conditions, the applications of AT&T and ATN (together, the “Applicants”) for Commission consent to the transfer of control of, and assignment of, a number of cellular, Personal Communications Services (“PCS”), Lower 700 MHz Band B and C Block, and common carrier fixed point-to-point microwave licenses; spectrum leasing authorizations; and an international section 214 authorization from ATN’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Allied, to AT&T."

Once this transaction is complete, approximately 620,000 customers, along with network equipment and other assets, will be transferred from Allied to AT&T.