T Mobile Buys Iowa Wireless < HD >

: Roughly 75,000 customers across Iowa, western Illinois, and eastern Nebraska

: T-Mobile quickly retired the localized iWireless brand name, shutting down its native networks by late 2018 to migrate all customers to the central T-Mobile brand. t mobile buys iowa wireless

, after announcing a definitive agreement to purchase the remaining 46% stake from Aureon in September 2017. Prior to the full buyout, T-Mobile held a 54% majority stake in the regional carrier, which had operated as a longtime network affiliate since launching in 1997. 🌐 The Deal at a Glance The Buyer : T-Mobile US : Roughly 75,000 customers across Iowa, western Illinois,

: Included 103 physical company stores and authorized dealer outlets 🚀 Strategic Rationale for T-Mobile 🌐 The Deal at a Glance The Buyer

: Before the takeover, iWireless's network was plagued by slow data speeds and extensive legacy 2G coverage. T-Mobile intended to leverage its newly acquired 600 MHz spectrum to overhaul the existing grid into a high-speed LTE (and later 5G) network.

: According to a report by the Communications Workers of America , the transition drew criticism for closing call centers and eliminating roughly 86% of the physical iWireless retail footprint, negatively impacting rural communities and local authorized dealers.

: The deal was a major component of T-Mobile's aggressive push to expand its footprint in the rural Midwest and the "heart of America".