This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has cleared T-Mobile’s $4.4 billion acquisition of U.S. Cellular, closing its investigation into the merger.
While the DOJ acknowledged this merger further consolidates the wireless industry, the department ruled that U.S. Cellular was not fit to keep up with rising capital investment costs required to compete with the “Big 3” carriers: T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon.
U.S. Cellular announced it was laying off 4,100 employees ahead of the merger earlier this year, including 86 in Washington, according to The Puget Sound Business Journal.
The acquisition will add 4 million customers to the network of the Bellevue-based T-Mobile. T-Mobile became the second-largest network in the U.S. after it closed a $30 billion deal to acquire Sprint Corporation in 2020. T-Mobile employs approximately 6,800 local employees.
Approval from the Federal Communications Commission is the final step for the deal to be finalized. The deal was first announced in May 2024.
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