Alltel agreed to sell to one team of bidders on Sunday. TPG Capitol and Goldman Sachs will buy the carrier, including assuming its debt, for $71.50 per share or about $27.5 billion. The companies expect to complete the sale near the end of this year or early 2008. It is widely assumed these equity partners purchased Alltel to hold the carrier until a larger carrier was ready to buy them, however the companies did not discuss these expectations when announcing the purchase.