Correcting the Record on LightSquared

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Thursday September 22, 2011 · 10:20 AM PDT

2011/09/22 · 10:20

Special interests are trying to distract attention from the facts.

For eight years, LightSquared has navigated the regulatory process to win approvals to build America’s first privately funded coast-to-coast wireless broadband service. LightSquared’s plan to invest billions of dollars to use its frequencies for an integrated ground-space network has been supported by both Republican and Democratic regulators --Michael Powell and Kevin Martin, FCC Chairmen appointed by President Bush,and Julius Genachowski, the FCC Chairman appointed by President Obama. In fact, the regulatory approvals that paved our way came in the mid-2000’s, during the Bush administration under Powell and Martin.

Regulators from both parties understand LightSquared’s approach will create more competition in the marketplace, put downward pressure on the prices paid by consumers, create good paying jobs in the tech sector, and give Americans access to the most modern cellular technology. LightSquared’s plan has drawn bipartisan support because it’s right for the country.

BroadbandforAllCalifornians

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Friday September 16, 2011 · 11:17 AM PDT

2011/09/16 · 11:17

Can you imagine having to wait your turn to make a mobile phone call? It may seem like a far-fetched concept, but it’s a practical reality in many large urban areas where completing a call during peak times has become a frustrating challenge. After years of double digit growth, the nation’s wireless networks simply don’t have enough capacity on their towers to support the more than 300 million mobile devices in this country.

This spectrum shortage has been compounded by the popularity of smart phones, which use 24 times more wireless capacity than a regular handset. Wireless tablets, such as an iPad, use five times as much as a smartphone, and netbooks send and receive four times as much data as a tablet. It’s easy to see how all those videos, photos and Facebook updates are clogging our nation’s networks and leading to dropped calls and no service signals.

The trend towards more network congestion is clear, and that’s not good news for consumers who are used to technology advancements providing faster speeds and lower prices. But the nation’s wireless networks are not keeping up with the rapid advancement of our mobile devices. Rather than keep up with demand, Verizon and AT&T have begun to ration their customers. Both companies recently stopped offering unlimited wireless plans, meaning that it will cost subscribers more to access the same services.

BroadbandforAllCalifornians

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Tuesday September 13, 2011 · 2:12 PM PDT

2011/09/13 · 14:12

This editorial in The Detroit News by Orjiakor N. Isiogu, chairman of the Michigan Public Service Commission, very nearly perfectly sums up our argument.

Like HDTV before it, 4G-LTE wireless holds incredible promise for consumers and device manufacturers alike. But today there is insufficient wireless capacity to support millions of 4G-LTE devices, and demand is rising ever faster. According to Cisco Systems, mobile traffic is expected to increase 26-fold by 2015. By 2015 the majority of Internet traffic will be via mobile devices - a reality unthinkable just two years ago.
That's why LightSquared's venture is significant. It would substantially increase America's broadband wireless capacity while providing next-generation high-speed wireless data and voice to areas previously underserved. In addition, the company plans to market its nationwide network on a wholesale model, allowing any number of new competitors to enter the market. Many observers have hailed this proposal as a key part of President Obama's plan to increase high-speed Internet adoption nationwide, while also increasing competition in a consolidating wireless industry, all at zero cost to taxpayers, thanks to a planned $25 billion investment by the company.

More competitors in the market will mean lower prices and better service for consumers, along with expanded wireless broadband options. Another key benefit will be the economic benefit associated with building out a national network, including the creation of an estimated 15,000 jobs per year. Public safety could be enhanced by this network as well.

Simply put, whether you're somewhere in urban Michigan or rural California, an expanded wireless network means more competition, lower prices, and better service. And we're doing it all at zero cost to taxpayers.

More Spectrum. Yeah. That's the Answer!

BroadbandforAllCalifornians

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Friday September 09, 2011 · 11:37 AM PDT

2011/09/09 · 11:37

For real – it is. And the truth is, that while all of this debate about the AT&T/T-Mobile merger is important, worthwhile and necessary, it’s also something of a red herring. Because at the end of the day the problem that the merger was initiated in part to address, the problem that will ultimately prevent new competition, stifle innovation and shut down the incredible potential to create jobs and grow the economy through broadband investment remains.

And that problem is SPECTRUM.

And if there’s something we know a little bit about, it’s the need for more spectrum.

Check out this very excellent article written by Jeff Kagen at E-Commerce Times, Let’s Solve the Real Wireless Problem: Spectrum Shortage:
http://www.technewsworld.com/...

MVNOs - The New Cinderella Story

BroadbandforAllCalifornians

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Tuesday August 23, 2011 · 4:19 PM PDT

2011/08/23 · 16:19

While everyone enjoys a Cinderella story, this one is certainly not a fairy tale. This is a story of a business model that has seen a great share of success globally, and when it finally makes its mark in the U.S., will subsequently change the wireless broadband landscape as we know it.

As mobile data demand continues to skyrocket, and the U. S. wireless industry grapples with the ideal solution to manage and deliver this data, there is no time better or need greater than right now for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) to succeed in the U.S. But MVNOs have so far struggled to gain footing in the U.S., with even marquis brands such as ESPN and Walt Disney unable to succeed. In Europe, however, there are more than 200 active MVNOs, and global MVNO subscribers are expected to reach 189 million by 2015.

So why haven’t MVNOs had as much success in this country? Despite not having to invest in spectrum and infrastructure – enormous costs for operators – wholesale economics haven’t been attractive because current operators offer a “retail minus” pricing structure versus a pure wholesale offer. This limits the MVNO’s pricing flexibility and thus their ability to achieve sustainable margins.

BroadbandforAllCalifornians

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Friday August 19, 2011 · 1:54 PM PDT

2011/08/19 · 13:54

In his State of the Union address in January, President Obama said that making broadband available for 98 percent of Americans is essential to “winning the future.” This was a verbal challenge that underscores the importance of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan, which states that “broadband can and must serve as a foundation for long-term economic growth, ongoing investment, and enduring job creation.”

LightSquared has accepted this challenge, representing $14 billion in private investment in America’s infrastructure, while the deployment and management of our network is anticipated to generate more than 15,000 jobs in each of the next five years.

LightSquared supports the plan to connect America, creating economic opportunities and job growth—especially in areas that have traditionally been on the wrong side of the digital divide. In March we signed an agreement with Open Range Communications, a broadband wireless provider of Internet and digital phone service to rural American communities. You can read more about our partnership here. We’ll be collaborating on the design, build-out, and operation of Open Range’s network as well as on product and service evolution.

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Correcting the Record on LightSquared

Spectrum Scarcity and the Consumer

Expansion of Wireless Network is Critical

More Spectrum. Yeah. That's the Answer!

MVNOs - The New Cinderella Story

Serving Rural Areas/Democratizing Internet Access