KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — More than 200 employees in East Tennessee will lose their jobs as U.S. Cellular moves toward completing its sale of wireless operations and certain spectrum assets to T-Mobile. The company has filed a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Notice with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, informing them of the permanent closure of several stores across the region.
The closures will take effect on or after June 2, 2025, impacting a total of 286 workers. The affected locations include U.S. Cellular stores in Knoxville, Alcoa, Madisonville, Sevierville, and Farragut. These closures are a part of the transaction arrangement between U.S. Cellular and T-Mobile, which was announced in May 2024. Under the deal, T-Mobile is set to acquire U.S. Cellular’s wireless operations and certain spectrum assets.
The specific stores that will close include:
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717 Louisville Road, Ste. 102, Alcoa, TN 37701
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2736 Schaad Road, Knoxville, TN 37921
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4873 North Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37918
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7412 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
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11661 Parkside Drive, Farragut, TN 37934
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111 Kefauver Lane, Ste. 2, Madisonville, TN 37354
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562 Winfield Dunn Pkwy, Sevierville, TN 37876
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800 Cornerstone Drive, Knoxville, TN 37932
In a statement to 6 News, U.S. Cellular outlined plans to offer employment opportunities to a majority of the affected workers through T-Mobile. The company emphasized that the agreement with T-Mobile ensures job offers for many employees who will transition into the new company. However, for those who are not offered positions, U.S. Cellular is committed to providing severance packages and additional support, helping workers with their job search and transition.
T-Mobile’s deal to acquire U.S. Cellular’s wireless operations is expected to close by mid-2025. U.S. Cellular confirmed that the sale includes assets related to their wireless services, but it will not impact the company’s broader retail and service operations beyond this specific transaction.
According to the WARN Notice, all impacted employees are not represented by a collective bargaining agreement. In response to the layoffs, the East Local Workforce Development Area rapid response team has been notified and will coordinate services with the company to assist the affected workers.
This significant restructuring comes as part of a larger trend of consolidation within the telecommunications industry, with companies like T-Mobile expanding their networks and operations through acquisitions. While the layoffs are a blow to the local workforce, the move to offer transition support and job placement services aims to soften the impact for employees during this challenging time.
