NEW YORK-Shareholders of VoiceStream Wireless Corp., Omnipoint Corp. and Aerial Communications Inc. have “overwhelmingly approved” the merger of the three Global System for Mobile communications carriers.
The VoiceStream-Omnipoint merger is expected to close “shortly,” while the Aerial-VoiceStream merger is anticipated to close during the second quarter, the companies said in their announcement Feb. 24.
“Although there were no petitions to deny the (Aerial-VoiceStream) merger, it is still subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission, which is expected to rule [soon],” the companies said.
Don W. Warkentin, president of Chicago-based Aerial, noted that the new company would be the only national GSM carrier in the United States.
With a footprint covering a population of 200 million, the new carrier will be “one of the largest licensees in the world employing GSM technology,” said John W. Stanton, chairman and chief executive officer of VoiceStream, headquartered in Bellevue, Wash.
Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, is a strategic partner and major shareholder of VoiceStream, Stanton added.
Douglas G. Smith, chairman of Omnipoint, Bethesda, Md., said the merger of the three carriers will “provide the springboard for enormous future growth.”
