FCC near approving AT&T's buyout of Verizon rural lines
updated 03:45 pm EDT, Thu June 17, 2010
ATT could expand rural coverage soon
The FCC is on the verge of approving AT&T's proposed buyout of rural frequencies from Verizon, leaks from within the deal said today. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has reportedly already passed a request that the other four commissioners approve the deal before they formally vote on the deal in the next few weeks. AT&T would be paying almost $2.4 billion for airwaves that Verizon has to abandon for its acquisition of Alltel to remain intact.
What prompted the request wasn't mentioned to the WSJ, but AT&T representative Mark Siegel had said that it had intended to complete the deal by the end of the first half of the year, just two weeks away.
The expansion could have a significant effect on AT&T's overall coverage area, primarily in the southeastern US where Alltel had originally been based.
