AT&T Wins FCC Permission to Buy Airwaves From Comcast

AT&T won permission from the Federal Communications Commission to acquire airwaves from four companies: Comcast, San Diego Gas & Electric Co, Horizon Wi-Com LLC and NextWave Wireless.

AT&T, the second-largest U.S. wireless operator, has proposed at least 24 deals this year to acquire frequencies as it seeks to catch up with top mobile carrier Verizon Wireless, which is ahead in the race to stockpile the industry’s most precious asset. The companies involved told the FCC the spectrum is currently underutilized, the agency said. Transferring the airwaves to Dallas-based AT&T will help boost mobile high-speed Internet use, the FCC said in its order. San Diego Gas & Electric had acquired the airwaves for smart grid use, the agency said.

GigaOm reports that the licenses cover 82 percent of the U.S. population in the contiguous 48 states, and, combined with AT&T’s current extensive WCS holdings, would give AT&T control over most of the band. There are only a handful of other WCS holders of any note – Sprint being one – but you can expect AT&T to approach those operators in coming months because gaining complete control of the band is core to AT&T’s plans.