ATLANTA-GTE Wireless Inc. announced it signed a definitive agreement to purchase in cash Bell Atlantic Mobile’s interest in Virginia Cellular L.P. GTE also agreed to sell to Bell Atlantic Mobile its Asheville, N.C., metropolitan service area business, GTE Mobilnet of Asheville Inc.
Bell Atlantic will add about 213,000 pops and expand its service area by more than 1,100 square miles when the deals close, Bell Atlantic said. GTE has marketed cellular service in the area under the Cellular One brand name.
GTE will acquire 138,637 pops when the transactions close and will add the Richmond, Petersburg, Norfolk and Newport News, Va., metropolitan service areas as well as several rural service areas to its field of operation. With GTE’s existing operations in Virginia, the purchase will consolidate its ownership interest to 100 percent.
The transactions are expected to be completed simultaneously during the third quarter, pending regulatory approvals. Specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
