LightSquared to Launch Nationwide Wholesale LTE Network

The New America Foundation gathered key industry experts to discuss whether satellite spectrum should be reclassified so that it can be used for the expansion of terrestrial mobile broadband.

With the spectrum crunch that many experts anticipate, many industry experts are calling for the reclassification of the satellite spectrum to be used for the expansion of mobile broadband. Rather than wholly reclassify the spectrum, LightSquared uses their mobile satellite spectrum holdings to deploy a nationwide Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network with both terrestrial and satellite components. The CEO of LightSquared, Sanjiv Ahuja, provided an expansive overview of how the firm plans to combine satellite coverage with terrestrial towers to create a nationwide, wholesale 4G LTE network. All the devices that run on the network will be able to seamlessly switch from satellite to terrestrial giving users true nationwide coverage. “For the first time users will be able to go from Manhattan to the Grand Canyon and keep their coverage,” said Ahuja. LightSquared will not offer service directly to consumers – rather it will provide network access to mobile providers and allow hardware makers to connect their devices directly to the network. Ahuja predicts that the low cost of access for the mobile providers will expand the number of companies offering prepaid options.