US telecom Alltel to buy Meteor parent for $6bn

US telecoms company Alltel has reached an agreement to buy Meteor Mobile Communications parent company Western Wireless in a stock-and-cash transaction valued at approximately $6bn (€4.6bn).

Alltel will gain about 1.4 million domestic wireless customers in 19 western and midwestern US in the deal, giving the company 10 million domestic wireless customers in 33 states, as well as 1.6 million international customers in six countries.