T-Mobile to buy majority of U.S. Cellular for $4.4 billion

T-Mobile is buying most of U.S. Cellular including the company’s $2 billion assumed debt in a $4.4 billion deal.

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The Wall Street Journal reported that the sale, which is expected to close in mid-2025, will bring T-Mobile more than four million new customers.

The sale still has to undergo an antitrust review, as well as, the boards of United States Cellular Corp and Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.

T-Mobile said it would allow U.S. Cellular customers to keep their plans or switch to their company, CNBC reported.

Earlier this month, there had been discussions between T-Mobile and Verizon to split U.S. Cellular, which said on Tuesday that it will keep its cellphone towers, 70% of its wireless spectrum licenses and its current agreements with Verizon.

T-Mobile will continue the leases it already has on 600 U.S. Cellular towers and will have an additional 2,000 more long-term leases.

The sale will bring T-Mobile’s cellphone coverage to rural areas where its network hasn’t yet reached and will bring high-speed broadband to homes that typically can’t get the signal, The Wall Street Journal reported.

It will also allow U.S. Cellular’s customers to access T-Mobile’s 5G network, The Associated Press reported.

“Bringing together UScellular’s network resources with ours will enable us to fill gaps in connectivity that will create a better experience for all of our customers with more coverage and more capacity,” T-Mobile CEO Mike Stewart said in a statement, according to the AP.

Check back for more on this developing story.

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