The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved AT&T's $1 billion spectrum acquisition from UScellular.

The approval comes after AT&T agreed to ditch its DEI-related policies earlier this week.

AT&T first announced an agreement to snap up spectrum assets from UScellular in November of last year.

As part of the agreement, AT&T snaps up 1,250 million MHz-Pops of 3.45 GHz and 331 million MHz-Pops of 700 MHz B/C block licenses.

The FCC said that the deal will enable AT&T to enhance its network coverage, capacity, and performance.

"We find it unlikely that the proposed acquisition of 700 MHz and 3.45 GHz spectrum would allow AT&T to foreclose entry, raise rivals' costs, or otherwise harm the public interest," said the FCC.

UScellular was previously a regional wireless player, but sold its wireless operations, which included the company's 4.5 million customers, to T-Mobile for $4.4bn in August.

As part of that deal, T-Mobile has acquired UScellular's operations, including its customer base and around 30 percent of the company's wireless spectrum. The telco separately struck a separate spectrum sale deal with Verizon for $1bn last year.

UScellular has instead pivoted away its T-Mobile sale to become a tower infrastructure-focused business, and has rebranded as Array Digital Infrastructure.

The Rural Wireless Association (RWA) has slammed the FCC's approval, noting that it continues the "trend of consolidation that harms competition and disserves the public interest, especially for members of the public living, working, and traveling in rural America."