Association of BellTel Retirees’ Post

U.S. Cellular agreed to sell a portion of its retained spectrum licenses used to transmit mobile phone signals and high-speed data services to AT&T in a $1.02 billion deal. The transaction is part of the regional wireless carrier's strategy to monetize its spectrum assets that were not part of the previously announced sale to T-Mobile. T-Mobile in May agreed to buy much of U.S. Cellular’s operations in a roughly $4.4 billion deal. That agreement would give T-Mobile more than 4 million new customers and a trove of valuable spectrum rights to carry more of their data over the air. Last month, U.S. Cellular agreed to sell select spectrum licenses for $1 billion to Verizon. It also signed deals with two other mobile network operators but did not disclose the details. U.S. Cellular said that, including the proposed deal with T-Mobile, it will have reached agreements to monetize about 70% of its total spectrum holdings. https://lnkd.in/eVjaYf5X

T-Mobile and Verizon Communications, Inc. are in talks to buy parts of UScellular in separate transactions. T-Mobile is closing in on a deal to buy a chunk of U.S. Cellular for more than $2bn, taking over some operations and wireless spectrum licenses. Verizon's talks with the regional carrier is expected to take longer and might not result in an agreement. #MergersAcquisitionsDivestitures #Telecommunications #Mobile

Big news in the telecom space! UScellular's $1 billion deal to sell spectrum assets to Verizon marks a significant shift, especially as it prepares for its exit from the mobile market. As UScellular continues to monetize its remaining assets, it’ll be interesting to see how these changes impact competition and service quality in the industry. #Telecom #SpectrumSale #USCellular #Verizon

T-Mobile US is reportedly in talks to acquire a portion of UScellular's assets, aiming to bolster its spectrum holdings in a deal valued at over $2 billion, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The potential acquisition aligns with T-Mobile's strategy to expand its spectrum portfolio, following its successful deployment of 5G mid-band networks using acquired spectrum from a 2021 FCC auction. UScellular's spectrum resources hold significant value for T-Mobile, potentially enhancing its network capabilities and customer experience in the fiercely competitive US telecom market.

Potential changes in the telecommunications industry have left some customers concerned about the future of their service. Recently, a customer reached out to me with concerns about the potential distribution of UScellular between T-Mobile and Verizon. While these transactions can take a long time, with an estimated decision on regulation not expected until at least late 2025, it's important to note that regardless of the outcome, there are options available to ensure continued service. As I explained to the concerned customer, a multi-IMSI eUICC environment offers redundancy and the ability to select and add providers. This is what we plan for, and we are confident in our ability to provide reliable service no matter what the future holds. If you have any concerns or questions about the potential changes in the industry, don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to help and ensure you stay connected. #globalconnectivity #iotconnectivity #esim #velocityiot #ConnectedDevices

Major deal announced by Verizon today. The company has agreed to buy Frontier Communications in an all-cash deal worth $20 billion, effectively allowing Verizon to buy back fiber-optic lines it sold off nearly a decade ago. Verizon is jockeying to compete with AT&T and other mobile carriers to deliver premium broadband services. Frontier has 2.2 million fiber-optic connections across 25 states, which will combine with Verizon's 7.4 million FiOS connections in nine states and Washington, D.C. Verizon had in 2016 sold its TV and internet business in California, Texas, and Florida to Frontier in a $10.54 billion deal. Verizon executives said this latest deal will help the company overhaul aging phone lines while building new connections in neighborhoods that don’t already have fiber-optic service. The combined company would expand the number of locations passed with a fiber line — not all of which will sign up for service — to 30 million by 2026. “That puts us as the No. 1 mobility player and brings us up to the No. 3 broadband player,” Verizon consumer-division chief Sowmyanarayan Sampath said. “When we bring broadband and fiber together, there’s huge value to us but also to the customer.” #Verizon #BellTel #BellTelRetirees https://lnkd.in/eHF7EmtJ

FWA is here to stay! If Cable companies thought they had plenty worry about with regional fiber "overbuilders," this is going to bring even more heartburn. 5G wireless internet from most providers is uncapped and rivals cable/coax internet speeds of about 300 Mbps down and 30 Mbps up, At a price point of $60 monthly it is a great use case for mom and pop small businesses and backup connections for larger businesses. Not to mention, this technology is much easier to scale out out in rural environments. If you run a business an want to see if FWA 5G can help your business let me know. #businessinternet #5G #Wirelessinternet #dualWAN

Separate deals involving the sale of parts of U.S. Cellular are sparking investors’ interest. T-Mobile US is close to an agreement to buy some of the regional wireless carrier’s operations and valuable wireless spectrum licenses for more than $2 billion, citing anonymous sources. That transaction could be announced later this month, while Verizon’s deal might require more time — if it happens at all. The deals are being pursued independently in a bid to ease antitrust concerns. Verizon and T-Mobile are the largest and second-largest U.S. cellphone companies by subscribers, respectively. Shares of U.S. Cellular and Telephone and Data Systems, which holds nearly 75% of U.S. Cellular’s publicly traded shares, both soared on Thursday. The company provides wireless service to more than four million customers across 21 states from Oregon to North Carolina. https://lnkd.in/gc3k2sWH

U.S. Cellular said it would sell $1 billion worth of its spectrum licenses to Verizon. The deal includes the sale of 663 million megahertz point-of-presences of its cellular spectrum licenses. A point-of-presence refers to a physical location which connects users to the internet. This comes after T-Mobile agreed in May 2024 to buy much of U.S. Cellular's operations, including wireless customers and stores, as well as certain specified spectrum assets for $4.4 billion. This latest transaction highlights the gradual dismantlement of U.S. Cellular – a regional wireless network operator with around 4.5 million customers – among the nation's big wireless network operators. https://lnkd.in/eASce3rX

Here's some news with my colleague Lauren Thomas that's been a long time coming. About nine months after UScellular put itself up for sale, T-Mobile and Verizon are in talks to carve up one of the last big regional cellphone carriers left in America, people familiar with the matter say. T-Mobile's discussions are especially advanced and could offer more than $2 billion for a chunk of the regional company. U.S. Cellular has a deep base of rural cellphone customers scattered across the country, but it's the Chicago company's wireless spectrum licenses that are an especially hot commodity. Phone companies rely on wireless airwaves to beam everything from email to TikTok videos to their customers. The big carriers have already paid more than $100 billion to reserve new airwaves for 5G signals and are hungry for more. One twist: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has lacked the ability to sell new spectrum licenses since its authority to auction them expired last year. That drought has driven up the price of licenses on the secondary market, offering a U.S. Cellular a potential windfall. America's wireless market is already concentrated among three big networks, however, so any sale is likely to face vetting by antitrust authorities — including the FCC.