Today Sprint Nextel announced the closing of the buyout of Sprint’s affiliate UbiquiTel. The price was $1.3 billion including the assumption of $300 million in debt. With this purchase Sprint Nextel gains approximately 452,000 subscribers and 8.3 million POP’s in 9 states.
UbiquiTel also had 151,00 wholesale subscribers.
As of right now there is no official word on the employment of UbiqueTel’s 452 employee’s. At least there is no mention of it in the press release. If it is like Sprint Nextels previous affiliate purchase’s, these people’s jobs may be safe for the near future. I have received reports from employee’s of previous Sprint Nextel affiliate purchase’s that no immediate changes to staffing were expected at the retail level at least. But we will have to wait and see what Sprint Nextel decides to do with UbiquiTel’s employee’s to be sure.
