AT&T Receives Approval for Purchase of Qualcomm Spectrum

AT&T has received all required regulatory approvals for its acquisition of spectrum from Qualcomm. AT&T is purchasing 700 MHz spectrum licenses covering more than 300 million people for approximately $1.9 billion.

"This spectrum will help AT&T continue to deliver a world-class mobile broadband experience to our customers," said Bob Quinn, senior vice president/Federal Regulatory, AT&T, in a statement. "We appreciate the FCC Chairman, the Commissioners and their staff for completing its review before the holidays. As spectrum is the lifeblood of the U.S. wireless industry, we are pleased that the FCC did not reduce the spectrum screen, however, we continue to believe any changes to the process by which it is allocated should be subject to open and transparent public discussion and clear to everyone with an interest in ensuring the health of our industry."

The companies expect to close the transaction in the coming days.