U.S. Cellular appears to be interested in getting out of or scaling down its wireless business and is reportedly in buyout talks with T-Mobile and Verizon.
U.S. Cellular is one of the largest, and last, regional carriers that is well-liked by its users. The company has reportedly been struggling to compete against the three national carriers and leading to a possible sale.
According to The Wall Street Journal, T-Mobile and Verizon are in talks to buy different parts of the business in hopes that split-sale deal will avoid regulatory issues. T-Mobile’s deal could be valued at more than $2 billion and could wrap up as early as this month. Verizon’s deal is not nearly as far along as T-Mobile’s, and may not even result in a deal.
WSJ says the rising cost of wireless licenses is a major motivation for the deal. U.S. Cellular has spectrum in 30 states, covering more than 50 million people, meaning the company can cash in at a time when those licenses are commanding a premium.
If U.S. Cellular does sell its operations, it will mark the end of an era for the wireless industry.