RSSAlltel Acquires Midwest Wireless
By Ed Oswald | Published November 18, 2005, 4:14 PM
Rural cellular carrier Alltel said on Friday it would acquire Midwest Wireless in a deal worth just over $1 billion. The purchase would give Alltel another 400,000 customers, and help it better compete with the four major carriers. Midwest would add to Alltel's network across the states of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.
The Midwest merger is Alltel's second this year. In January, the company merged with Western Wireless in a $6 billion transaction. Analysts say they expect more consolidation in the industry. Possible buyout targets include local GSM operators Centennial and Dobson, mixed network operator Rural Celullar, and CDMA provider Leap Wireless.
Hopefully this will make it better for those who use Midwest Wireless. All I know is that my parents have Alltel and it isn't worth the money they pay for it. Half the time the phones do not keep a signal. They got better service out on cingular.
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Without Alltel I dont know where really rural areas would get any service...more power to them, but good grief their rates are high.
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I'm not a customer but I know a few people who are and Midwest Wireless just built an antenna outside my grandparents land. Hopefully this will give them better coverage.
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