With national carriers already consolidated, merger mania has moved onto regional co’s–the New York Times is reporting that Alltel is planning to purchase Western Wireless for $4 billion. According to sources “Close to the talks,” the deal is not yet final but could close within a week.

Combined, Alltel, which is based in Little Rock, Ark., and Western Wireless, based in Bellevue, Wash., would have about $10 billion in revenue and 9.8 million subscribers - about 6 percent of the national market.

Western Wireless has CDMA mobile phone service in 19 Western states.