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AT&T Acquires AWS Spectrum from Frequency Squatter-Speculator Aloha Partners II

Phillip Dampier January 7, 2014 AT&T, Broadband "Shortage", Competition, Public Policy & Gov't, Wireless Broadband 1 Comment

AT&T today announced it has agreed to buy 49 Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum licenses from a venture that has done nothing with the frequencies since acquiring them at auctions dating back as early as 2004.

Aloha Partners II, L.P. has no intention to use the frequencies it controls, so it has sold part of its spectrum portfolio to AT&T. The acquired licenses cover almost 50 million people in 14 states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Aloha Partners II is selling a considerable amount of its AWS portfolio to AT&T for an undisclosed sum. The venture never used the frequencies, although it controlled some of them as early as a decade ago.

Aloha Partners II is selling a considerable amount of its AWS portfolio to AT&T for an undisclosed sum. The venture never used the frequencies, although it controlled some of them as early as a decade ago.

The acquisition will complement AWS frequencies AT&T already controls in the band, which ranges from 1710 – 1755 and 2110 – 2155MHz.

att_logoFinancial terms were not disclosed.

Carriers have complained regularly about spectrum shortages but some consumer groups charge carriers and spectrum squatters are not putting the airwaves they already control to use. Spectrum has become such a valuable asset, some investors have pooled resources to buy licenses only to resell at a profit later.

Before today’s announcement, Aloha Partners II was the 8th largest owner of wireless spectrum in the U.S. The venture owns AWS spectrum concentrated in 12 of the top 50 markets including many of the leading high-tech areas like San Francisco, San Jose, Denver, Austin and San Antonio.

In 2004, Aloha Partners II purchased 15 licenses covering 38 million pops from the Federal Communications Commission in the Advanced Wireless Spectrum (AWS) auction. In 2007 and 2008 Aloha Partners II purchased an extra 37 AWS licenses covering 12 million pops from Nextwave Wireless.

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Ian L
10 years ago

Would’ve liked to have seen that spectrum go to T-Mobile or Verizon, since it would’ve allowed either of them to deploy 20×20 in places where they can’t right now. Guess that’s not happening now though. In Austin, post-Leap acquisition and post-Aloha, AT&T will have 15×15 of contiguous spectrum. Verizon will have 10×10. T-Mobile will have two 10×10 swaths. Verizon could trade one of ’em for its spectrum and give T-Mobile 20×20, but I’m not sure whether Verizon would be willing to do that, unless T-Mobile made some advantageous swaps elsewhere. In San Antonio, Aloha is at the bottom of the… Read more »

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