DALLAS (AP) - AT&T Inc. said Friday that its acquisition of smaller wireless carrier Centennial Communications Corp., has closed after several delays due to the regulatory process.

AT&T bought Wall, N.J.-based Centennial for $944 million in cash. The deal was announced a year ago, and was initially expected to close in the second quarter this year.

With the acquisition, AT&T is gaining 879,000 wireless subscribers and an expansion of its wireless network in Puerto Rico and in rural areas of the Midwestern and Southeastern U.S.

AT&T INC  NYSE:T  Updated: 16:00 ET  26.02  -0.09

As part of a deal with regulators, AT&T has committed to selling eight Centennial service areas in Louisiana and Mississippi. In May, it reached a deal to sell five of them to Verizon Wireless for $240 million.

Centennial subscribers who are not in one of the eight markets to be divested are now AT&T subscribers. They can keep their rate plans or move to AT&T plans, the company said.

11/06/09 16:41 © Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.