Dish Awaits Waiver for Bundled Satellite Communications Offer

The FCC has disapproved LightSquared’s waiver request regarding the use of satellite communications spectrum to deliver mobile broadband services. Its hybrid satellite-terrestrial LTE network has been attacked by the GPS industry due to its unwanted effect on GPS signal transmission.  But Dish hopes it would have bigger chance of getting an FCC waiver which could take an entire year to be decided upon.

Some market observers share the same sentiments as Dish. The satellite communications and broadcasting company is operating on safer spectrum which is less likely to cause GPS interference, unlike that of Light Squared. Dish already submitted its plan to operate an LTE-Advanced network by 2013 at the earliest. MVNO is the likely platform, which was expected to have been used by LightSquared. But the main goal of DISH is to bundle mobile satellite communications services with its pay-TV offering. This would leverage the competitive edge of Dish over cable and telco quad carriers.

But there are some stumbling blocks along Dish's satellite communications plan. AT&T is mulling on buying the satellite spectrum, which could mean possible interference issues on part of Dish. A number of cellular communications firms have anticipated this, and thus urged the Federal Communications Commission to delay the issuance of waivers until the completion of industry-wide rules for MSS airwaves.

In a public statement released by the FCC, the agency reiterated its intent to remove regulatory barriers to open up more wireless communications spectrum to mobile broadband providers.

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