Verizon In Talks to Buy Alltel, Become Biggest Wireless Carrier With Over 80 Million Subscribers

Not the first time this rumour has popped up, but Reuters is reporting that Verizon is in talks to pick up nationwide runt Alltel in a US$27 billion deal that would make Verizon Wireless the biggest carrier on the block, with over 80 million subscribers, topping AT&T (67 million + 13 million). The deal’s feasible–both use CDMA, and in a saturated wireless market where growth is mostly coming from theft and smaller carriers anyway, buying ‘em outright might just be easier. (CNBC’s reporting it too, check it for some more biz analysis.) And here’s the WSJ take.[Reuters]