While AT&T’s is beginning the transition of its newly-acquired Verizon Wireless assets, the acquisition of AT&T-divested Centennial Wireless by Verizon Wireless has stalled in the middle of the regulatory process. Verizon Wireless has been granted two time extensions to give the wireless carrier additional time to respond to the FCC’s questions, and the FCC has issued a second protective order to keep much of the proceedings confidential. An objection issued by Cellular South is also still active and under consideration by the FCC. With all of this bureaucratic red tape still in the way, this transition is proceeding very, very slowly and most likely wont be initiated until 2011. Folks in those five markets within Louisiana and Mississippi that are affected by this merger will become well acquainted with the phrase, “be patient, just wait”.
