Verizon Wireless said Thursday it completed the purchase of Northern California wireless operator Mountain Cellular from Sierra Tel Communications Group. The deal includes Mountain Cellular’s spectrum license covering 170,000 potential customers in El Dorado County stretching along Highway 50 from El Dorado Hills to South Lake Tahoe, 21 cell sites and related network equipment, as well as Mountain Cellular’s approximately 10,000 subscribers.
Verizon Wireless said it will begin integrating Mountain Cellular’s CDMA network into its 1x-based network phases, with plans to add capacity beginning early next year to handle call volume from existing Verizon Wireless customers and installing high-speed data capabilities by the end of next year. Verizon Wireless noted that Highway 50 was a key travel route in the region and was heavily used by area residents and visitors traveling to Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada border.
Financial terms of the purchase were not released.
