26 Sep 2014

T-Mobile US is looking to acquire further spectrum in the 700MHz A block band, Fierce Wireless reports, citing a pair of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filings. According to the documents, T-Mobile is seeking to gain control of spectrum from McBride Spectrum Partners in the western Pennsylvania counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmorland. In addition, T-Mobile wants to buy up 700MHz frequencies from David Miller, an individual spectrum holder, in several counties in New Mexico and Texas.

According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, T-Mobile first threw its weight behind the 700MHz A block in January this year, when it agreed to buy a substantial package of spectrum from Verizon Wireless for USD2.37 billion. Meanwhile, August saw the carrier acquire additional 700MHz spectrum from I-700 A Block (covering Indiana and Kentucky) and CenturyLink affiliate Actel (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana and New Mexico). In addition, earlier this month T-Mobile lined up deals with Frontier Communications (Rochester, New York) and another individual spectrum holder, Thomas Kurian (Grand Forks and Fargo-Moorhead in North Dakota and Minnesota).