WASHINGTON (AP)—The Federal Communications Commission gave its approval Tuesday to Cingular Wireless LLCs $41 billion acquisition of AT&T Wireless Services Inc., completing the federal regulatory blessing necessary for creation of the countrys largest cellphone company.
Antitrust regulators at the Justice Department had cleared the way for the merger on Monday.
Both agencies, however, set conditions for the merger that would give Atlanta-based Cingular about 47.6 million subscribers. That would top Verizon Wireless, the current market leader with 40.4 million customers as of midyear, while paring the number of national cell phone providers to five.