Alltell-WW could be all-American.

Byline: Chris Nolter

Should Little Rock, Ark.-based Alltel Corp. succeed in a $6 billion buyout of Western Wireless Corp., the combined companies could sell or spin off operations worth billions of dollars in the U.S. and overseas.

One candidate for divestiture would be Western Wireless' international unit, which Legg Mason Inc. analyst Chris King suggested could be worth $1.7 billion in a report on Thursday, Jan. 6.

The overseas operations have shown strong growth. In the third quarter, for instance, revenues from overseas increased 57% to $221 million, while Western's total revenues grew at a less robust 24%.

"It's the international part …