NextWave Wireless has sold 63 percent of the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum it originally acquired at the FCC auction in 2006. Making about $150 million dollars on this fragment of its original $115 million purchase, NextWave claims this is the company’s first step in maximizing its spectrum portfolio.
FCC permitting, the sale of 599 million megahertz pops of AWS will go to four companies, according to several news sources: T-Mobile USA, MetroPCS, ACS Wireless and Atlantic Wireless. The sale gives U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile more options to expand its 3G network, adding to the more than $4 billion it spent to acquire AWS spectrum during the 2006 auction.
Following NextWave’s April announcement that it planned to sell its 154 AWS and 30 communication service licenses, as well as Educational Broadband Service and Broadband Radio Service licenses, this sale still leaves NextWave with plenty of U.S. spectrum, especially in California, Florida and New England. Combined, that could cover most of the country.
For more information, visit www.nextwave.com.
