Aloha Partners

Aloha Partners LP is a telecommunications company based in Providence, RI. It is the largest owner of 700 MHz spectrum in the United States.

History

{{Infobox company

| name = Aloha Partners

| founded = 2000

| hq_location = Providence, RI

| key_people = Scott Wills

| parent = AT&T

}}

Aloha Partners LP is and was the largest buyer of spectrum in the FCC auctions of radio frequencies in the 700 MHz band in 2001 and 2003. Since that time, Aloha has also acquired the second largest (Cavalier Group LLC) and third largest (DataCom Wireless LLC) owners of 700 MHz spectrum.{{cite web |url=http://www.catalystinvestors.com/news/news-archive/1679-aloha-partners-expands-700-mhz-nationwide-presence-with-two-acquisitions |title=Aloha Partners expands 700 MHz nationwide presence with two acquisitions |publisher=Catalyst Investors |date=February 8, 2005 |access-date=2013-05-15 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628204720/http://www.catalystinvestors.com/news/news-archive/1679-aloha-partners-expands-700-mhz-nationwide-presence-with-two-acquisitions |archive-date=2013-06-28 |url-status=dead }} As a result, Aloha currently owns 12 MHz of spectrum covering 60% of the United States - including all the top 10 markets and 84% of the population in the top 40 markets.

On September 19, 2007, Aloha Partners announced that it had reached an agreement with LIN Television Corp. to purchase their entire catalog of 31 spectrum licenses in the 700 MHz band.{{cite web |last=Dickson |first=Glen |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6479255.html |title=LIN TV Sells Spectrum Licenses to Aloha |publisher=Broadcaster & Cable |date=September 17, 2007}}

On February 4, 2008, the FCC approved the $2.5 billion buyout of Aloha Partners by AT&T Mobility.{{cite web |url=http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-26A1.pdf |title=Memorandum Opinion and Order |publisher=Federal Communications Commission |date=February 4, 2008 |access-date=February 5, 2008 |archive-date=October 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018012928/http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-26A1.pdf |url-status=dead }} This gives AT&T control of former television channel 54 and 59 in a coverage area which includes 72 of the top 100 metropolitan areas and a grand total of 196 million people in 281 markets.{{cite web |last=Churchill |first=Sam |url=http://www.dailywireless.org/2007/10/09/att-buys-700mhz-from-aloha/ |title=AT&T Buys 700MHz from Aloha |publisher=dailywireless.org |date=October 9, 2007}}

The next-largest owner of 700 MHz spectrum is Qualcomm, which owns channel 55 nationwide for use by its MediaFLO system.

References

External links

[http://www.alohapartners.net Official website]

Category:Telecommunications companies of the United States

Category:Companies based in Rhode Island