FCC approves AT&T’s $1.9b purchase of Qualcomm’s 700MHz spectrum

Christmas has come early to the execs at AT&T, who’re likely celebrating the FCC’s 3-1 approval to purchase Qualcomm’s block of the 700MHz spectrum for $1.9 billion. The scoop comes as a bittersweet victory for Ma Bell, whose efforts to obtain T-Mobile turned sour earlier this year. Qualcomm’s block of the airwaves, once used to facilitate FLO TV , now sits unused. Once the purchase is complete, AT&T will use the recent share of spectrum to extend download capacity for its burgeoning LTE network.

For the FCC’s part, it has approved the cope with just some stipulations: AT&T shall be required to meet interference requirements and must offer data roaming to its competitors at the spectrum. That isn’t to indicate everyone’s pleased, however. Rural cellular providers asked that, as portion of the deal, AT&T must make sure that its LTE network is interoperable with the bands utilized by smaller networks. Sadly, the FCC has denied this request, ostensibly limiting the little guy from receiving Ma Bell’s hand-me-downs.