T-Mobile completed its long-awaited $4.4 billion acquisition of UScellular’s wireless operations, including the company's 4.5 million customers.

The announcement of the deal came last Friday (August 1) as expected, after receiving approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last month.

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.

“We’re improving experiences for millions of UScellular and T-Mobile customers and adding more amazing employees to the T-Mobile family to help us do it,” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile.

UScellular, which serves 4.5 million mobile customers across 21 US states in mostly rural areas, has struggled to keep up with the big three US carriers.

“For over 40 years, UScellular has been dedicated to the mission of connecting people to what matters most. The completion of our transaction with T-Mobile ensures that mission endures, as customers across our footprint will have an even better network experience,” said Laurent Therivel, former CEO of UScellular.

“I am proud of the entire UScellular team and grateful for their contributions to our company and their support of our customers over the years."

T-Mobile noted that the deal will provide both itself and existing UScellular customers with enhanced coverage.

For now, UScellular customers will remain on their existing plans, added T-Mobile, though as networks and systems are integrated, customers will be able to choose from T-Mobile’s unlimited plans.

The company also struck separate spectrum deals with AT&T and Verizon for $1bn each last year.

Despite those deals, UScellular has retained its telecom infrastructure. The company has moved away from wireless operations in favor of pushing its telecom tower business. Currently, the company owns approximately 4,400 towers.

As part of this pivot in focus, UScellular last week announced it will now rebrand itself as Array Digital Infrastructure.