According to a report in the Arkansas News, Alltel had tried to buy Sprint Nextel before Verizon Wireless acquired it. In an exclusive interview with the Arkansas News Bureau, Alltel CEO Scott Ford explained that the company tried to do “everything we could to get a national platform,” including making three bids for Sprint, as well as trying to acquire T-Mobile USA and AT&T Wireless. Ford reportedly said that in these bids it sometimes went in with partners and sometimes tried on its own.
According to the report, Ford said that the credit markets fell “so totally apart” that even as Sprint Nextel was in trouble, there wasn’t an opportunity for Alltel to step in.
Verizon Wireless announced plans to acquire Alltel on June 5.
Ford also reportedly said he is working with Arkansas’s Governer Mike Beebe on ways to counteract the possible major layoffs in the state. Verizon is reportedly considering maintaining a call center in Little Rock, and positioning a regional headquarters at Alltel’s campus, but it remains likely that the area will suffer cutbacks and some employees may have to relocate.
Despite concerns for his staff, Ford reportedly said that a national platform was necessary for the company’s long-term survival.