LightSquared Teams With Skype Co-Founder To Offer 'Free' Wireless Broadband

LightSquared, a wireless broadband company building a nationwide LTE and satellite network, struck a wholesale deal with FreedomPop, a startup backed by Skype and Joost co-founder Niklas Zennström that is claiming it will offer free broadband and voice services "to all Americans."

It is not clear what FreedomPop's business model is. FreedomPop is funded by Zennström's venture capital firm Atomico. The company will launch in 2012 with its "ultimate objective to ensure that every American has access to fast, free and convenient communication services." FreedomPop said it will initially target "underserved markets" with services running on LightSquared's 4G LTE network, which is slated to come online starting in the second half of 2012.