Verizon Wireless Buys New York License From NextWave

Verizon Wireless picked up a big swathe of spectrum in the desirable 1.9-GHz frequency range in the New York metropolitan area for $930 million, the firm announced.The licenses came from NextWave Telecom in a bankruptcy auction. The 10-MHz license covers 20 million users in a wide area, encompassing New York City, Westchester, and Rockland counties in New York State, and northern and central New Jersey.

Verizon said Thursday that the new airwaves will expand network capacity for voice and data services.

The NextWave auction also saw MetroPCS of Dallas winning licenses in two Florida markets for $43.5 million.

In other wireless-spectrum activity, Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless agreed to swap spectrum in North Carolina and Puerto Rico for frequencies in Virginia owned by PCS Holdings, according to press reports. Cingular is in the process of acquiring AT&T Wireless.