AT & T said that it would pay $ 2.35 billion in cash to acquire most of the assets of Alltel Wireless Verizon, which must divest as part of its acquisition of Alltel, the company announced on Friday.

As part of the deal, AT & T will receive a wireless spectrum licenses, network assets and 1.5 million subscribers in 79 service areas.

Verizon Wireless was required to sell the assets in portions of 18 different states as a condition for obtaining regulatory approval to buy Alltel. In Verizon-Alltel deal worth $ 28.1 billion, was announced in June 2008 and closed in January this year. After the merger of Verizon Wireless became the largest U.S. wireless operator, surpassing AT & T in terms of subscribers.

So what does this mean for the former Alltel wireless customers? Well, for customers in parts of Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming, and this means that they will become AT & T Wireless customers.

In the acquisition of assets, as well as several markets from Verizon Wireless and the former Rural Cellular, AT & T said in his speech. The old rural cellular or Unicel as it was called, had the operation in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Alabama, Mississippi, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

AT & T said in his statement that after the network and billing integration is completed, the new AT & T customers will be able to access all the same phones and service plans for all of his AT & T customers, including Wi-Fi to 3G LaptopConnect customers and qualified smartphone subscribers. And for the interested rural wireless customers, this will be the first opportunity to get their hands on the popular iPhone, which is exclusively sold in the United States to work for AT & T network. These customers will also receive access to other AT & T exclusive device, such as the BlackBerry Bold.

AT & T in the manual said that the acquisition of these assets helps to fill holes in its offering of rural subscribers.

“This transaction will complement our existing network, especially in rural areas,” Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT & T Mobility and Consumer Markets, said in a statement. “This acquisition adds assets of the network, distribution channels and 850 MHz spectrum in a large part of the United States that would allow even better coverage for AT & T customers in those areas.”

In addition, under the deal, AT & T is selling its former Verizon Wireless century properties. This transaction is in the amount of $ 240 million, including licenses, network assets and about 120,000 current subscribers in the five service areas in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The transaction will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2009, depending on regulatory authorities, AT & T said.