T-Mobile’s $4.4 billion acquisition of US Cellular is expected to hit close to home for many West Virginians. Ten retail locations across the Mountain State are among the sites where employees will be impacted as part of a nationwide wave of layoffs affecting approximately 4,100 workers.
As required by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, US Cellular informed state and local officials that “employment separations” will begin in early-to-mid June. A formal letter sent to officials in Monongalia County explained that the wireless company plans to sell off its wireless operations, customer base, and roughly 30% of its licensed spectrum to T-Mobile US, Inc.
Retail stores in Morgantown, Beckley, Clarksburg, Elkins, Fayetteville, Lewisburg, Martinsburg, Princeton, Summersville, and Whitehall have been identified as affected locations in West Virginia.
Some Jobs May Transition—But Concerns Remain
In a move to soften the blow, US Cellular stated that many of the impacted employees are being offered jobs with T-Mobile, with wages and benefits equal to or better than their current packages. However, uncertainty lingers, as history shows mergers often come with significant workforce reductions.
The Communications Workers of America union is among the critics of the deal, warning that this type of consolidation can be harmful to both competition and employees. They point to T-Mobile’s previous $26 billion acquisition of Sprint in 2020, which was followed by around 5,000 layoffs, representing about 7% of the combined company’s workforce.
A Trend of Telecom Mergers
This US Cellular deal is just the latest in a string of T-Mobile acquisitions. In 2024 alone, the company also bought Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile for $1.35 billion. The move to purchase US Cellular, the fifth-largest wireless provider in the U.S., further extends T-Mobile’s dominance in the telecom space. US Cellular currently serves 4.5 million customers across 21 states, while T-Mobile boasts a nationwide customer base of around 120 million.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is still reviewing the transaction, and it’s expected to be finalized this summer.
West Virginia Workers Brace for Change
While some employees may land on their feet, others are facing an uncertain future. For workers in small towns like Fayetteville or Summersville, the loss of even a handful of jobs can have a ripple effect on local economies. With the official transition still pending, thousands of workers across the country—especially those in West Virginia—are waiting anxiously to learn their fate.
As telecom giants continue to consolidate, communities that rely on these jobs for stability could be left navigating the fallout.
