Last week, CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) and Level 3 Communications (NYSE: LVLT) inched closer to sealing their merger, nearly one year after the deal was announced.
The Department of Justice approved the merger, though it also had some conditions: The combined company must divest certain assets in Albuquerque, N.M.; Boise, Idaho; and Tucson, Ariz. It must also sell 24 strands of “dark fiber” — unused fiber strands that can be leased to other companies wishing to stream data over its network.