Alltel continues to operate in divested territory

Alltel said it was continuing to operate in the wireless markets that Verizon Wireless agreed to divest as part of its $28.1 billion acquisition of the regional carrier.  The territory spans 22 states and covers 2.2 million subscribers.

Alltel is reassuring its customers who are not being integrated into Verizon's network that it is still providing core services to them, including Alltel's signature "My Circle" feature. "Customer satisfaction remains Alltel's top priority, and our customers can rest assured that they will continue to receive the first-class products, services and customer support that Alltel has always been known for," said Paul Bowersock, senior sales and operations leader at Alltel. 

The territory has been in limbo since the close of the deal Jan. 9. The divested territory is managed by a trust. If Alltel subscribers in the territory wish to migrate to Verizon, they would have to end their contract with Alltel and switch as if they were coming from any other carrier.

AT&T and others are also reportedly bidding for the divested territory and assets, which are worth around $3 billion. The markets could be a valuable asset to AT&T in its competition with Verizon, should it secure a winning bid. AT&T Mobility lost its rank as the nation's largest wireless carrier in the wake of the Alltel acquisition. 

For more:
- see this release [1]

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Verizon-Alltel [4] deal to close Jan. 9
Verizon [5] gets $17B in loans to complete Alltel deal
FTC approves Verizon-Alltel [6] deal
FCC approves Verizon's [7] acquisition of Alltel