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AT&T's $2.5B spectrum deal to expand wireless network

Apple's exclusive U.S. iPhone service provider AT&T said Tuesday it has agreed to purchase spectrum licenses from Aloha Partners LP totaling approximately $2.5 billion, expanding its ability to deliver wireless voice, data and video services to customers.

The deal will enhance AT&T's spectrum position by adding 12 MHz of spectrum at the 700MHz range, covering 196 million people in 281 markets. It will also increase AT&T's coverage in many major metropolitan areas, including 72 of the top 100 and all of the top 10 markets in the United States.

"Customer demand for mobile services, including voice, data and video, is continually increasing," said Forrest Miller, group president of Corporate Strategy and Development for AT&T. "Aloha's spectrum will enable AT&T to efficiently meet this growing demand and help our customers stay connected to their worlds."

AT&T, which has been aggressively expanding its wireless network in recent years amidst customer complaints about service quality, said it anticipates receiving necessary government approvals to close the deal within six to nine months.