AT&T has agreed to purchase spectrum licenses in the Lower 700MHz frequency band from Qualcomm, a provider of next-generation mobile technologies, for $1.925bn.
AT&T said that the acquisition will strengthen its ability to provide an advanced 4G mobile broadband experience for its customers in the years ahead.
The spectrum covers more than 300 million people total nationwide: 12MHz of Lower 700 MHz D and E block spectrum covers more than 70 million people in five of the top 15 US metropolitan areas while 6 MHz of Lower 700 MHz D block spectrum covers more than 230 million people across the rest of the US.
AT&T said that it intends to deploy this spectrum as supplemental downlink, using carrier aggregation technology, which is designed to deliver substantial capacity gains and is expected to be enabled with the completion of 3GPP Release 10.
The company said that the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
