Regulators Clear Deal for AT&T; Wireless

Justice Department antitrust regulators cleared the way for Cingular Wireless’ $41-billion acquisition of AT&T; Wireless Services Inc.

The merger still must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission. That could come as early as today.

Under an agreement with the Justice Department filed in federal court in Washington, Cingular must divest itself of the combined company’s assets in 11 states.

Cingular is an Atlanta-based joint venture of BellSouth Corp. of Atlanta and SBC Communications Inc. of San Antonio. Its acquisition of Redmond, Wash.-based AT&T; Wireless would create a cellular phone colossus with 46 million customers, topping the 37.5 million customers of Verizon Wireless.