Back in April, some Federal Communications Commission filings revealed that Verizon was planning to acquire California carrier Golden State Cellular. Now that deal has been made officially official.

Verizon today announced that it has completed its purchase of Golden State Cellular, adding that it now owns 100 percent of the operator. This acquisition helps Verizon to expand its footprint in East Central California, namely in Amador, Alpine, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa counties as well as “much” of Yosemite National Park. The license and assets that Verizon is acquiring cover 160,000 people and 6,000 square miles.

Looking ahead, Verizon says that it plans to keep the Golden State Cellular brand alive in the coming months as it integrates that network into its own. Once that process is complete, Verizon will launch its LTE network in the area and transition to the Verizon Wireless brand. 

It’s never exciting to see another carrier disappear from the market, but the good news with today’s deal is that it sounds like Golden State Cellular customers will soon get improved cellular service thanks to Verizon’s LTE network. Verizon says that it plans to send letters to Golden State Cellular customers in the near future to explain the service transition, so if you’re currently signed up for Golden State Cellular, keep an eye on your mailbox.

Via Verizon Wireless