Quantum Networks Signs Deal With LightSquared

Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor gloom of GPS testing keeps LightSquared from announcing new customers for its planned national wireless broadband 4G network.

Quantum Networks has signed a deal to bundle the wholesale wireless service with its other broadband products. LightSquared is offering the service wholesale so that customers can brand it as their own.

LightSquared can't launch that service until the FCC gives it the green light, and the FCC has said it would not do so until it has resolved GPS interference issues. Preliminary reports from such tests released this week showed interference with the majority of general GPS devices, but no major ones with cell phones. LightSquared chose to look at that as the glass mostly full.

The FCC granted LightSquared a waiver to use its satellite spectrum for terrestrial wireless, but conditioned on resolving interference issues. The company has invested billions and says Quantum is its 33rd customer sign-up.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.