AT&T gets feds OK to buy Qualcomm spectrum

From CNET News.com: The wireless carrier said late Thursday that it now has the green light from the Federal Communications Commission to acquire 700MHz licenses from Qualcomm, in a deal valued at $1.9 billion. The companies expect to complete the transaction, which was originally announced a year ago, "in the coming days," AT&T said.

"This spectrum will help AT&T continue to deliver a world-class mobile broadband experience to our customers," said Bob Quinn, AT&T's senior vice president for federal regulatory matters, said in a statement. "As spectrum is the lifeblood of the U.S. wireless industry, we are pleased that the FCC did not reduce the spectrum screen."

The licenses, covering spectrum in the Lower 700 MHz D and E Blocks, will be instrumental in helping AT&T build out its 4G services. Qualcomm had been using the spectrum for its Flo TV services.

Said the FCC in the conclusion of its report on the AT&T-Qualcomm deal:

We conclude ... that this transaction - with AT&T's plans to deploy supplemental downlink technology - holds the promise of meaningful transaction-specific public interest benefits that support the Commission approving the proposed transaction. In particular, we anticipate that the proposed transaction would facilitate the transition of underutilized unpaired 700 MHz spectrum towards mobile broadband use, thereby supporting our goal of expanding mobile broadband deployment throughout the country.

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