Verizon is deep in talks to acquire Alltel, the nation's fifth largest wireless carrier, for roughly $27 billion, people close to the talks have told CNBC.

Alltel was only recently taken private by TPG and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners in a $27.5 billion deal. That deal, announced in May of last year, closed in November.

Verizon seems likely to pay no more than did TPG and Goldman, and will be doing so for a company that has increased its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) by 10 percent since the leveraged buyout was announced last may.

Verizon is expected to pay roughly 8 times Alltel's current Ebitda, in contrast to the 9.2 times Ebitda that TPG and Goldman paid last year when they put in roughly $4.6 billion of equity and lined up $23.8 billion of debt financing to get the deal done.

Officials at Verizon and Alltel declined all comment.