AT&T (NYSE: T) is buying the wireless airwave licenses of privately held Aloha Partners LP for about $2.5 billion…the licenses have coverage for a potential 196 million customers in 281 markets, including 72 of the top 100 U.S. markets in the 700-megahertz frequency band. This means Aloha, which announced some high-profile plans last year with HiWire DVB-H network, may have exited the mobile TV market, though that is not yet clear.

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Aloha was trialling its HiWire DVB-H network in Las Vegas with partner T-Mobile USA…it was the remaining DVB-H player in the U.S. market following Crown Castle’s decision to spin off its Modeo business in July, reports RCR.

AT&T meanwhile is on track with Qualcomm’s (NSDQ: QCOM) MediaFLO mobile TV network, and may launch the TV service later this year or early next year. The company has yet to decide how it will use the 700 MHz spectrum it just bought.

Reuters: AT&T spokesman Michael Coe would not say how the acquisition might affect AT&T’s decision about whether to participate in an upcoming government airwave auction.