With AT&T/T-Mobile deal blocked, Verizon extends its empire

Verizon seals another cable deal to buy wireless spectrum and divide up the video/wireless marketplace. Following its agreement last week to buy advanced wireless service licenses from Comcast, Time Warner and Bright House, Verizon just announced a deal to purchase 20MHz of spectrum from Cox Communications for $315 million. "In a separate agreement, Cox and VZW will begin selling each other's services as well."

The licenses Verizon agreed to buy from Cox are located in the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) zone, and cover about 28 million people.

As Speed Matters wrote when the $3.6 billion Verizon/Comcast/Time Warner/Bright House deal was announced last week: "If approved, (these deals) will strengthen Verizon's dominant position in wireless, while foreclosing cable and high-speed broadband competition in many markets." With the Cox deal, the Verizon/cable market division covers most of the nation.

Cox Communications sells 20MHz wireless spectrum to Verizon for $315 million (Engadget.com, Dec. 16, 2011)

While T-Mobile eludes AT&T, Verizon buys up spectrum (ars technica.com, Dec. 18, 2011)
 
Verizon cable deal clamps the lid on broadband competition (Speed Matters, Dec. 6, 2011)