It’s no secret that Verizon Wireless and their 4G LTE network is the biggest and best around. Covering nearly 75% of the US population already, and available in over 375 markets across the US. They’ve continued to expand and grow their network and today the FCC just issued an approval for them to snatch up even more LTE spectrum. This deal is also good news for T-Mobile.
In case you haven’t been following along with the news. Verizon was looking to purchase additional spectrum from SpectrumCo which is made up of multiple cable companies. Those include Cox Communications, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and more. All this spectrum is wasted airspace at the moment but Verizon is looking to change all that.
Verizon and the cable companies aren’t the only ones this is good news for either. Verizon has been looking to sell and/or license their spectrum to multiple smaller companies including: Leap Wireless, Savary Island Wireless and T-Mobile. Yup T-Mobile will be using this purchase approval to buy and license some of Verizon’s LTE. This will help them with their slow rollout of 4G LTE in early 2013.
This is a big move for all the parties involved, and that is why the FCC had to stick their nose in and approve the purchase. Verizon will be spending a small sum of around $3.9 billion worth of airwaves, and then recoup some of that with their smaller licensing deals. Hopefully this will quickly turn around into increased 4G LTE options from Verizon.
