How about some big spectrum news to help start your week off right? Verizon and T-Mobile this morning announced that they've entered into an agreement to exchange AWS spectrum in a move to help meet LTE capacity needs. The deal will involve the purchase and exchange of AWS licenses in 218 U.S. markets, and T-Mobile says that the agreement will improve its spectrum position in 15 of the top 25 markets in the country. T-Mobile will gain spectrum that covers around 60 million people and includes areas like Philadelphia, Charlotte and Memphis, in exchange for some cash and spectrum that covers around 22 million people. Some of the spectrum that T-Mobile will be gaining from the swap is from Verizon's proposed AWS dealings with SpectrumCo, Cox and Leap. Both that deal and this one between Verizon and T-Mobile are subject to regulatory approval, and both carriers expect this new agreement to be given the green light later this summer.
This deal between T-Mobile and Verizon is a pretty big one, and it looks like T-Mobile will be gaining spectrum in a number of major markets. Interestingly, the swap involves T-Mobile gaining licenses from Verizon's SpectrumCo swap, which the Magenta carrier has actually voiced its concerns of in the past. Now that T-Mo will be gaining some spectrum from the deal, I'm guessing that it's stance on Verizon's deal has changed. You can find the announcements of today's agreement from both Verizon and T-Mobile below.
