Weekly Deal Roundup

Cellular South Announces Plans To Acquire Alabama’s Corr Wireless
From: RCR Wireless News
Carrier consolidation is not limited to just the big four, as Cellular South announced plans to acquire Alabama-based Corr Wireless. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Cellular South said the deal will include more than 30,000 customers in 18 counties and network assets covering 1.3 million potential customers.
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Sprint to buy IPCS, suspend litigation
From: RCR Wireless News
Sprint Nextel Corp. amputated a source of legal and operational frustration announcing plans to acquire network affiliate iPCS Inc. for $831 million. The deal puts to an end a smattering of legal challenges posed by iPCS that could have forced the industry’s No. 3 operator to turn over its operations in markets served by the affiliate.
The deal includes the assumption of $405 million in debt and values iPCS’ stock at $24 per share, which was a 34% premium to the affiliate’s closing price prior to the deal’s announcement. Sprint Nextel will gain control of iPCS’ 710,200 customers across portions of Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio and Tennessee.
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AT&T Should Relinquish Handsets If Buying Centennial, FCC Told
From: Bloomberg
Federal regulators should require AT&T Inc. to share handset designs with small wireless carriers before approving its purchase of Centennial Communications Corp., Cincinnati Bell Wireless LLC said. The purchase of Centennial would “deprive smaller carriers of an ally and consortium partner in buying arrangements,” Cincinnati Bell told the U.S. Federal Communications Commission in a meeting Oct. 16, according to a disclosure filing on the agency’s Web site. The Justice Department approved the $945 million merger on Oct. 13 on condition the combined company sell wireless assets in Louisiana and Mississippi. The FCC will make a decision “very soon,” Ruth Milkman, who heads the agency’s wireless bureau, said at the time.
The FCC should impose a condition that “parallels” the commitment by Verizon Wireless to make smart phones available sooner to small carriers, Cincinnati Bell Wireless told agency staff, according to its filing. Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, said in July it will relinquish exclusivity for new phone designs and let small carriers have access after six months, down from one to two years for most exclusive contracts. The FCC is investigating whether consumers are harmed by exclusive contracts. Examples include AT&T Inc.’s arrangement to offer Apple Inc.’s iPhone on its network, Sprint Nextel Corp.’s sole rights for Palm Inc.’s Pre and Verizon Wireless’s deal with Research In Motion Ltd.’s Blackberry Storm.
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VCs rain $20M on Tower Cloud for wireless backhaul services
From: Tech Journal South
Tower Cloud Inc., a company selling backhaul services to wireless carriers, has raised $20 million round from a new investor group led by telecom entrepreneur Cam Lanier and return backers El Dorado Ventures and Sutter Hill Ventures. The company plans to use the funds to expand into Atlanta and other areas. The new investor group includes Ballast Point Ventures, Kinetic Ventures, Knology Inc., ITC Partners Fund, Noro-Moseley Partners, and The Burton Partnership. Wireless backhaul refers to wireless communications systems that carry data from an end user to a node in a major network such as the Internet or the proprietary network of a large business, academic institution or government agency. It can also refer to transmitting network data over an alternative wireless route when the normal one is not available or is over burdened.
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