T-Mobile US picks up remaining interest in regional carrier Iowa Wireless
T-Mobile US is expanding its footprint in the Midwest by buying out the remaining interest in regional carrier Iowa Wireless. iWireless, as it’s called, was founded in 1997 and is a partnership between T-Mobile US and business services company Aureon.
T-Mobile US expects the transaction to close in late 2017 or early 2018. iWireless is based in West Des Moines and offers service in Iowa, western Illinois and eastern Nebraska. The company has about 75,000 customers and 103 company stories and authorized dealers.
No terms for the purchase were disclosed.
T-Mobile US has emphasized its strategy to gain new customers by bolstering its coverage in areas that it did not previously serve as completely, and played up the advantages it will have as it rolls out its newly acquired 600 MHz spectrum for expanded nationwide coverage and capacity. The carrier has already been lighting up a few early 600 MHz sites in places like Cheyenne, Wy. and has told the Federal Communications Commission to it plans to “rapidly deploy” the spectrum. In announcing the iWireless acquisition, T-Mo said that “in Iowa, T-Mobile will expand its LTE coverage this year in addition to further investment and build-out of 600 MHz in the future.”
The purchase of iWireless will also add to T-Mobile US’ branded store count, which it has been expanding as part of a concerted retail push to open 3,000 new locations (1,500 each for the T-Mobile and MetroPCS brands) in 2017. The carrier expects to have 17,000 branded locations by the end of this year.
