14 DAY TRIAL // Wireless carrier AT&T has announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Centennial Communications Corp., and that the deal will improve its network coverage in the Midwest and Southeast United States, in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to the company, it plans on integrating Centennial’s networks and products with the existing AT&T offering.
At the same time, the carrier also announced that the new deal offers it the possibility to deliver broader wireless coverage, and that a number of around 893,000 former Centennial wireless subscribers would receive services from AT&T. Its network coverage has been enhanced in rural areas of Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio and Texas, and in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“The addition of Centennial will enhance AT&T’s assets in wireless - a strategic priority and one of our biggest growth drivers - and service for customers of both companies,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive officer of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We’re excited to give Centennial wireless subscribers access to the nation’s fastest 3G network plus our premier lineup of smartphones and unmatched portfolio of applications and services.”
AT&T also revealed that it plans on coming up with a series of offerings for those Centennial customers who want to migrate to its services. The company intends to deliver 3G connectivity at over 200 sites in Centennial’s markets, and users will soon enjoy HSPA 7.2 technology deployments ahead of the planned migration to 4G LTE services.
“We’ll also improve network reliability for our wireless subscribers who will be able to make on-network calls in the Centennial footprint,” said de la Vega. “And as Centennial’s broadband network in Puerto Rico is integrated with AT&T’s extensive global network and advanced service offerings, we’ll offer corporations that operate in Puerto Rico the benefits of end-to-end service over a single network.”