FCC approves Verizon’s $1bn Array spectrum deal

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Verizon’s $1 billion acquisition of spectrum from Array Digital Infrastructure.

As part of the acquisition, Verizon is set to pick up AWS-3, AWS-1, and PCS licenses from Array, formerly UScellular, covering around eight percent of the US population.

Verizon first announced the transaction back in October 2024.

The FCC said it has approved the deal, noting that the threat to cause “competitive harm” is low.

“Given the current levels of spectrum attributed to rival service providers and the fact that additional spectrum will be auctioned off in the near future, we find it unlikely that the acquisition of spectrum by Verizon Wireless in this transaction would allow it to foreclose entry, raise rivals’ costs, or otherwise harm the public interest in the local markets at issue,” said the FCC.

“We also find that the transaction would result in certain public interest benefits, including enhancing Verizon Wireless’s network coverage, capacity, and performance, resulting in a stronger ability to meet increasing customer demand and provide a better customer experience.”

The regulator previously approved AT&T’s $1bn acquisition of spectrum from Array, a deal which completed earlier this year.

Array Digital Infrastructure has pivoted away from being a regional wireless carrier in its UScellular era to a tower infrastructure company after selling a significant chunk of UScellular’s operations for $4.4 billion to T-Mobile, including its customer base and around 30 percent of the company’s wireless spectrum.

The company is the fifth-largest US tower business with around 4,450 towers. As a carrier, UScellular served around 4.5 million mobile customers.

Earlier this year, the company’s chairman Walter C. D. Carlson noted on an earnings call that Array could look at further monetizing remaining spectrum assets.