AT&T has finalized its acquisition of FiberTower and in the process gained a foothold in the spectrum needed to deploy 5G.
Specifically, AT&T now owns 375 MHz of 39 GHz spectrum (aKA mmWave) in the top 100 markets around the country. AT&T said it paid $207 million for FiberTower.
The deal was approved by the FCC last week, though Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said the matter was settled without all five commissioners participating in the vote. She accused FCC Chairmain Ajit Pai of ignoring her petition to have all the commissioners present. Clyburn suggests the deal was given the thumbs-up without fully vetting how much spectrum AT&T owns or will own in each market, and whether or not its spectrum holdings will result in harm to consumers.
AT&T expects to debut 5G service on a “puck” by the end of the year
