AT&T bolsters AWS spectrum holdings with 49 new licenses from Aloha Partners

AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) announced it purchased 49 AWS-1 spectrum licenses from Aloha Partners II, L.P. The carrier didn't disclose the financial terms of the agreement, but said the licenses cover nearly 50 million people in 14 states--California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Although AT&T didn't provide details, the carrier likely will deploy LTE network technology on the AWS licenses.

According to the FCC's spectrum database, AT&T is purchasing all of Aloha's remaining spectrum licenses. Interestingly, this is not the first transaction between AT&T and Aloha, a private spectrum holder. In 2008, the FCC approved AT&T's purchase of Aloha's 700 MHz spectrum licenses, after Aloha canceled plans to launch DVB-H mobile TV services on the licenses through its Hiwire subsidiary.

AT&T's purchase of Aloha's spectrum licenses is the nation's latest major spectrum transaction in as many days. Yesterday T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) agreed to spend $2.4 billion to purchase 700 MHz A Block licenses from Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ). Further, the nation's wireless carriers are gearing up to spend billions of dollars on new spectrum licenses the FCC is preparing to offer via a series of spectrum auctions starting this year.

AT&T said its transaction with Aloha is subject to regulatory approval. AT&T anticipates closing the transaction in the second half of 2014.

For more:
- see this release
- see this Reuters article

Related Articles:
T-Mobile buys Verizon's 700 MHz A Block spectrum for $2.4B
FCC approves AT&T-Aloha spectrum deal
Spectrum sale casts doubt on Hiwire's future