LITTLE ROCK, Ark.-Alltel Corp. said it has completed a wireless property exchange with Chicago-based U.S. Cellular Corp., fulfilling part of the divestiture requirements imposed as part of Alltel’s purchase of Western Wireless Corp earlier this year.
Alltel acquired two rural service area markets in Idaho and $50 million in cash from U.S. Cellular, in exchange for 15 markets in rural Kansas and Nebraska that were formerly part of Western Wireless. The U.S. Department of Justice had ordered Alltel to sell the Kansas and Nebraska markets as a condition of the Western Wireless deal.
Alltel kept Western Wireless’ market in Lincoln, Neb., and also hung on to all the properties in Nebraska and Kansas that it had operated before purchasing the smaller carrier.
