InformationWeek's W. David Gardner reports that "private equity firms are closing in on a deal" for a buyout of Alltel Wireless.

"With more than 12 million subscribers, the fifth-largest mobile phone provider has consistently ranked high on consumer evaluation polls and has paced its larger competitors in rolling out advanced features and services," Gardner writes. "Alltel added 237,000 net new subscribers in its latest reported quarter."

Three groups of private equity partners, Gardner says, are considering a takeover. "They are Blackstone Group and Providence Equity Partners; TPG Capital LLC and a unit of Goldman Sachs Group; and Carlyle Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.," he writes. "A takeover by a private equity operation presumably could hold and operate Alltel until a mobile phone operator appeared ready to bid for the company."

More here from Bloomberg ... more here from BloggingBuyouts ... and more here from Reuters.