FCC’s Powell Is Said to Back Wireless Merger

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael K. Powell plans to recommend that Cingular Wireless receive approval to purchase AT&T; Wireless Services Inc. with some divestitures, sources familiar with the matter said.

Some of the conditions probably will include forcing the companies to sell assets in some rural areas where the number of competitors to the new company will dwindle to one or two, the sources said.

At least two other FCC commissioners will have to agree with Powell before the $41-billion cash deal could be approved by the agency.

Cingular, a joint venture of BellSouth Corp. and SBC Communications Inc., and AT&T; Wireless have already offered to sell some airwaves in markets where they together would have more than 80 megahertz of airwaves.