28th
Oooh. Shiny. Nationwide 4G from LightSquared
This sounds awesome: a nationwide 4G-LTE wireless network that is scheduled to be up and running (covering 92% of the US population) by 2015. There are some minor details — such as AT&T and Verizon are not allow to play on this network! But that FCC clause denying AT&T and Verizon access is aimed at increasing wireless broadband competition. (Will it save Sprint’s business? Create a Google Wireless plan for Android phones? Turn Apple into its own ISP?) I’m thinking this could be a game-changer — or it could fizzle out like “femtocells”…. All depends on how it’s implemented and how much it’ll cost.
This consortium came into existence following the Harbinger Capital Partners investment group’s acquisition of SkyTerra Communications (now LightSquared). SkyTerra will provide the spectrum for this venture. Nokia Siemens will design the network, install equipment, and manage the operation, which consists of about 40,000 cellular base stations.
And the whole shebang will cover over 92 percent of the US population by 2015, the new company pledges.
