FCC Approves AT&T $1 Billion Purchase Of Spectrum From US Cellular

The FCC has approved AT&T’s roughly $1.02 billion purchase of a package of wireless spectrum licenses from UScellular, clearing AT&T to add this capacity to its mobile network.​

Key facts

• The transaction covers mid-band 3.45 GHz and low-band 700 MHz spectrum licenses in multiple states, reaching around 12% of the U.S. population.​

• The FCC granted a waiver to let AT&T exceed its usual 40 MHz cap in the 3.45 GHz band in affected markets, arguing the added capacity should improve 5G coverage and performance.​

• Consumer and rural-carrier groups opposed the deal, warning it furthers consolidation and could hurt competition and roaming in rural areas, but the FCC concluded it would not significantly harm competition.​

DEI condition

• Approval came after AT&T formally committed to ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, which the current FCC leadership has made a de facto condition for clearing major telecom transactions.​

• AT&T told the agency it “will not have any roles focused on DEI,” aligning with similar commitments made by Verizon, T-Mobile, and other large companies in connection with recent FCC deal reviews.​

Broader context

• The spectrum buy is part of a broader AT&T strategy to bulk up low- and mid-band holdings, alongside a proposed $23 billion spectrum acquisition from EchoStar that is still awaiting regulatory review.​

• UScellular, now restructured as Array Digital Infrastructure after selling most mobile operations to T-Mobile, is also selling spectrum to Verizon in a separate deal that has not yet been approved.​