The FCC just gave T-Mobile the thumbs-up to gobble up a big chunk of US Cellular—including parts of its wireless business and network infrastructure—for a cool $4.4 billion. This move could shake up the mobile carrier landscape, especially in rural areas where US Cellular has a strong presence.

Editor’s Note: If you're a T-Mobile or US Cellular customer, this deal might eventually mean better coverage (or, let’s be real, maybe just fewer choices). For the industry, it’s another sign of consolidation as bigger players snap up smaller ones to compete. Not a shocker, but definitely a big deal for rural connectivity and market competition.