Verizon, the second largest wireless operator in the United States, has announced it will purchase Alltel Corporation, the fifth largest wireless telecommunications company in the nation. Thus Verizon Wireless adds to its nearly 70 million subscribers around 13 million more.

The company can be traced back to Allied Telephone Co., founded in 1943. It currently has its own network in 34 states and has agreements with both Verizon and Sprint Nextel to provide its customers low-cost roaming in exchange for coverage in rural areas to the above-mentioned larger rivals.

Verizon has made a natural choice, as Alltel shares its CDMA technology and has already selected the same next-generation technology as Verizon, LTE. Alltel has most of its network focused on the Midwest and South, where Verizon has a weak presence.

The deal is allegedly worth around $28 million, which means that Goldman Sachs did not really secure a good bargain when they bought the company last year for around the same price. The deal could mean that struggling Sprint Nextel may get squeezed in the middle of its three large rivals.

About ten days ago, Verizon has gotten the approval of the city’s Franchise and Concession Review Committee to start offering its bundled TV and Internet service FiOS in New York City. Even though the first step has been made, the wireless company will still have to get the New York Public Service Commission’s approval. If this will happen, some of the New Yorkers might be able to subscribe to the service by the end of the year.

Also, Verizon recently unveiled a 10-year agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), worth $678.5 million, to serve as primary service provider of the DHS OneNet program and help unite the networks of DHS’s 22 agencies into one common and secure IP network, as well as manage and secure over 5,000 sites worldwide belonging to the agency.