Items tagged with LightSquared
LightSquared has had an interesting (and relatively rough) go as a company. The telecommunications firm launched with a lot of promise, just as North America was starting to embrace mobile broadband and LTE. But it soon realized that building out a network was a costly project, and fell into bankruptcy as bids from Sprint to take it over passed on by. Another company that looked into buying up what was left of LightSquared was Dish Network. In fact, it placed a staggering $2.2 billion on the table last year, but nothing ever became of it. Now, a new Wall Street Journal report suggests that Dish will be pulling that bid altogether. The report suggests that LightSquared's lenders -- the folks who...
Read more...
The end looks nigh for LightSquared. The company that intended to hook up with Sprint for 15 years (or more) in order to redefine the 4G landscape in the United States is on the brink of disaster, and according to a Wall Street Journal report, the cards could fold as early as tomorrow. Reportedly, Philip Falcone's project could be getting ready for a bankruptcy-protection filing, which could go into effect as early as tomorrow. Why? Because time has simply ran out, for the last time. Despite taking advantage of a number of debt waivers, the company owes around $1.6 billion to various parties. And the two sides are seemingly too far apart to to make it work any longer. It sounds like the two sides...
Read more...
Due to unresolved interference issues, Sprint has terminated its 15-year 4G network agreement with LightSquared. We heard rumors this might be coming, and now, Sprint has made it official. The announcement comes after LightSquared was unable to find a resolution to interference issues found by the Federal Communications Commission which cited tests that show interference between LightSquared’s proposed network and GPS. The agreement between Sprint and LightSquared was originally signed in June 2011. Sprint has said it would be open to future partnerships with LightSquared if the interference issues are resolved. Sprint Elects to Terminate Spectrum Hosting Agreement with LightSquared OVERLAND...
Read more...
Not really surprising, but things aren't looking so good for LightSquared. The company has been fighting for what feels like ages to get their wholesale LTE network approved despite staunch opposition from naysayers who contend that the network will interfere with GPS usage, and they've seemingly been losing more and more ground by the day. This week, the NTIA recommended to the FCC that it put a halt to LightSquared's dreams, but the company isn't going to go away quietly. They said that they'll remain "committed to finding a resolution with the federal government and the GPS industry to resolve all remaining concerns. LightSquared is confident that the parties will continue the on-going efforts...
Read more...
It's the story that just won't end. Just when you thought LightSquared may have given up the game, nope -- here's another punch to the mid-section. LightSquared has just issues a scathing new release that points fingers at testing equipment and again assures the public that their network wouldn't screw with any GPS triangulation. LightSquared said today that the process used to test GPS devices by Air Force Space Command on behalf of the Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Executive Committee (PNT EXCOM) was rigged by manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce bogus results, and revealed details of the testing to document its accusations. PNT EXCOM advises...
Read more...
VoIP. It's the wave of the telecommunications future, man. All kidding aside, there probably is some truth to that, as both LightSquared and Skype's co-founder are teaming up to offer free broadband services. The former is described as a "wholesale carrier building a nationwide wireless broadband network that will create consumer choice and drive industry innovation," while FreedomPop is described as "a disruptive new company that will offer free broadband and voice services to all Americans, have signed a wholesale network agreement." FreedomPop is spearheaded by Niklas Zennstrom, co-founder of Skype, and his venture capital firm Atomico. The company will launch in 2012 with its ultimate objective...
Read more...
Sprint and LightSquared recently announced a 15-year deal that will give Sprint $9 billion in cash in exchange for spectrum hosting and LTE network services as well as LTE and satellite purchase credits it will provide LightSquared. The deal is expected to speed up the completion of LightSquared’s 4G LTE network. Under terms of the agreement, Sprint has the option of purchasing 4G capacity from LightSquared. With this option, Sprint gets the option of moving beyond its current 4G offering, WiMAX, to LTE. Sprint Nextel and LightSquared Announce Spectrum Hosting and Network Services Agreement LightSquared enters into a Spectrum Hosting and Network Services Agreement with Sprint...
Read more...
LightSquared isn't a company that's a household name right now, but it should be. And it will be soon most likely. A new report suggests that the upstart communications company is poised to build out a nationwide 4G network, which would obviously compete with the networks out there already: WiMAX and LTE. Currently, the company owns a big chunk of licensed spectrum and has a billionaire backing them. That means that they had loads of flexibility to take their time and even fail a time or two. According to the report, the goal is to make money by "selling fast wireless broadband to large established providers who will then resell it to consumers or to local or new providers (such as camera manufacturers,...
Read more...
