VERIZON WIRELESS' SALES IN 15 MORE MARKETS MAY NAIL DOWN ALLTEL

摘要

Verizon Wireless announced 15 additional markets where it has offered to sell assets after discussions with the Justice Department to win approval of the acquisition of privately held Alltel. The 15 markets are in addition to 85 announced in July after negotiations with DoJ. Industry and government sources said the concession probably will mean department approval of the takeover. Chairman Kevin Martin is expected to ask FCC members to approve the merger at their Nov. 4 meeting, though that could slip to the December meeting, agency officials say. nnThe new markets are in Arizona, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Carolina and Utah and two each in Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina and New Mexico. All are small markets, such as Lake of the Woods, Minn., and Anderson, S.C. Alltel and Verizon Wireless both have assets in all the markets except Boone, Neb., where Verizon but not Alltel operates. The announcement probably won't quiet the opposition of public interest groups, trade associations and small carriers to the merger, industry officials said. Rural Cellular Association officials had just said in a filing that Verizon Wireless must sell spectrum "in significantly more markets than what Verizon Wireless has, thus far, agreed to."