Verizon must divest to buy Unicel-U.S. regulators

WASHINGTON, June 10 (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Corp (VZ.N) must divest assets in Vermont and portions of New York and Washington in order to buy Rural Cellular Corp, or Unicel, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.

The deal, which has a value of $679 million, may proceed after the divestiture, the Justice Department said in its statement.

"These divestitures are necessary to preserve the benefits of competition for residents throughout the state of Vermont and in areas of New York and Washington," said Thomas Barnett, assistant attorney general for antitrust.

The deal must also be approved by the Federal Communications Commission. (Reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by John Wallace)