Verizon, the carrier with some of the best spectrum in the US, is getting rid of its extra 700MHz licences after promising regulators that it would return unused spectrum to the market. Ideally, the sale of these bits of spectrum could help other up-and-coming carriers and small-time networks gain traction in an otherwise very-established mobile landscape. Verizon also plans on sharing spectrum with 20 rural operators as part of its "LTE in Rural America" program, teaming up with them to collaboratively build and operate 4G networks in those areas.

Verizon has inked its first spectrum license sale agreement with Nortex Communications, an independent telephone company based in Muenster, TX that covers a four-county area northwest of Dallas. Verizon also has an agreement with Panhandle Telecommunication Systems, a broadband company based in Guymon, OK, which also serves 12 counties in northwestern Texas. Both agreements are still subject to FCC approval.

According to GigaOM, Verizon has already previously sold 24 of its lower 700MHz spectrum licenses to Leap Wireless, a smaller carrier which owns brands like Cricket and specializes in prepaid mobile phones. In addition, it has other licenses available in major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles and New York.