T-Mobile confirmed today that the FCC approved the transfer of AWS spectrum licenses from AT&T to T-Mobile. This spectrum shuffle is part of the break-up agreement that AT&T signed when it tried to buy T-Mobile. When the merger failed, AT&T paid T-Mobile a lump sum payment and started the approval process to transfer the valuable AWS spectrum.
The AWS licenses will cover 128 Cellular Market Areas, including 12 of the top 20 markets. This new spectrum will help T-Mobile as it upgrades its network to 4G LTE. The company plans to spend $4 billion to improve existing voice and data coverage, and deploy LTE by the end of 2013.
[Via T-Mobile]