Apparently T-Mobile and Verizon really like to swap spectrum. After striking deals in 2012 and early 2014 that included airwave exchange, the two major U.S. carriers have reached another agreement.
According to a document submitted to the FCC, T-Mobile and Verizon have agreed to trade spectrum in 92 counties that are part of 41 Cellular Market Areas throughout the U.S. If the deal is approved, both carriers say that neither of their spectrum holdings would increase in any market. Instead, they plan to swap airwaves that would let them gain larger blocks nearby spectrum or align with blocks that they’ve already got in nearby markets.
T-Mobile and Verizon say that their deal will result in more efficient operations and that, if approved, they will gain network capacity and improved data throughput speeds.
This deal won’t actually go through until the FCC approves it, but the agency has given the green light to two similar agreements in the past, so it seems likely that it’ll do the same here. I’m sure most T-Mobile and Verizon customers would be pleased to have more network capacity and improved data throughput speeds, so this agreement sounds like a win-win.