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Source: Sprint, Lightsquared Partners On LTE Build
Lightsquared Meetings Illuminate Sprint 'Project Freedom'

Harbinger Capital Partners' Lightsquared network was originally intended to shake up the competitive landscape by offering new players wholesale access to an entirely new LTE network. Last July it was announced that Nokia won the $7 billion contract to build the LTE network, though a source with knowledge of Lightsquared's plans tells Broadband Reports that things have changed significantly since then, and that not only is Nokia possibly out of favor as the primary builder -- but that Lightsquared and Sprint are working in conjunction on future LTE plans, with Sprint's recently-announced base station retrofit now the cornerstone of Lightsquared's nationwide LTE ambitions.

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A source tells Broadband Reports a number of things were discussed at recent meetings held at Lightsquared, including the potential for removing primary network build obligations from Nokia and instead giving them to Alcatel-Lucent, Ericcson and Samsung. A consistent discussion point at those meetings was something called "Project Freedom," which the source insists to us is the codename for Sprint's potential liberation of their 4G fortunes from Clearwire.

According to supporting documentation, Lightsquared informed meeting attendees they were working with a 3GPP2 partner "who will allow for Lightsquared to deploy its network much quicker." This partner, which the attendee again insists is Sprint, would work in conjunction with Lightsquared to jointly develop and deploy cell sites. The satellite portion of Lightsquared's network would not be impacted by this movement, and a second phase of Lightsquared's ambitions would involve "adding support for MetroPCS diversity," says the source.

Our 4G strategy is WiMAX, full stop!"
-Sprint CEO, Dan Hesse
Last May Sprint issued an LTE build RFP, and for the last year we've heard from more than one Sprint employee that Sprint was absolutely migrating to LTE, despite several denials by Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. Last December Sprint announced a multi-billion dollar network overhaul paving the way for a streamlined footprint and LTE.

According to the Sprint network roadmap, the project involves having Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson and Samsung retrofit every Sprint cell site, eliminating the refrigerator-sized cabinets for each technology (800 MHz, 1.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz) in favor of small, more energy efficient multi-mode base stations. The entire effort is expected to cost between four and five billion dollars, and will culminate in the phasing out of Sprint's iDen network, something that will begin in 2013. More recently, Sprint has been claiming they could have a nationwide LTE network completed by the end of 2013, and LTE-ready smartphones on the market by the middle of 2012.

Instead of Nokia solely building Lightsquared's network, Lightsquared plans to piggyback on the Sprint upgrades being performed by Alcatel-Lucent, Ericcson and Samsung -- and share capacity on Sprint's LTE network. That gives Sprint additional leverage in negotiations with Clearwire -- or the option to detach entirely from an increasingly shaky relationship, which our source suggests is the direction Sprint's heading. It's possible that the Clearwire relationship could remain intact, but modified with Clearwire shifting to LTE as well. Regardless, this entire Sprint retrofit and partnership with Lightsquared (and their recent $586 million in fresh funding) appears to place Sprint squarely in the driver's seat.
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88

Member

Where is you god now wimax shills?

Wimax is dead as a consumer grade mobile wireless internet standard. Its number 1 poster boy Sprint even admits it now. Its been a while since the wimax shills have been here. Wheres my cornfield wimax Clear?
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

1 recommendation

xenophon

Member

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

I'm still here as a WiMAX proponent. It's inevitable Sprint will have to go LTE as LTE is for the telcom industry. That hardly means WiMAX is dead as it's deployed all over the world and has better chance for global roaming.

Both will exist just as cable modem and dsl co-exist. The industries will use what is available to them. The telcom industry will use LTE, the rest who want to get into wireless will use WiMAX so that they aren't controlled by 3GPP.

Is odd that many actually want WiMAX to die. LTE is controlled by the authoritarian telcom industry - you sure you want that as the only option?
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

With Sprint likely migrating to LTE, I doubt mobile WiMAX has much of a future in the US. Worldwide roaming won't get you much for WiMAX in a few years because I doubt you'll find (m)any handsets with WiMAX radios if you're native to the US.

It's not so much as looking forward to WiMAX's demise, rather it's a sense of being grounded in reality.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

I would agree that WiMAX in handsets do not have a future (unless embedded in WiFi chipsets). WiMAX as a whole will still probably be around globally long term though, including the US - but not via the traditional telcom companies.
xenophon

xenophon

Member

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

WiMAX is still growing globally. It hit 820M+ pops coverage end of last year, from 600M pops the year before. Should hit 1B this year.

»wimaxforum.org/resources ··· y-report

Sprint will likely get out of WiMAX but it's ridiculous to think Sprint alone defines the industry.

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME to openbox9

Anon

to openbox9
WiMax will be around. How do you think most Wireless providers are pushing faster speeds to their customers? There is actually a national WiMax provider that has been in business LONG before Clear/Sprint pushing the technology. Here is their website: »www.openrangecomm.com/De ··· ult.aspx

now tell me the technology is dead.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

Please reread my post and then get back to me.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88 to MEohME

Member

to MEohME
said by MEohME :

WiMax will be around. How do you think most Wireless providers are pushing faster speeds to their customers? There is actually a national WiMax provider that has been in business LONG before Clear/Sprint pushing the technology. Here is their website: »www.openrangecomm.com/De ··· ult.aspx

now tell me the technology is dead.

Thats not mobile wimax.

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME

Anon

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

nobody said ANYTHING about mobile Wimax. YOU said WiMax. Which means ANY form. So yes; you are wrong about the technology being dead. like it or not; you are WRONG.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

said by MEohME :

nobody said ANYTHING about mobile Wimax.

Umm, as much as I don't like sticking up for patcat88 See Profile
said by patcat88:

Wimax is dead as a consumer grade mobile wireless internet standard.

patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88 to xenophon

Member

to xenophon
said by xenophon:

Is odd that many actually want WiMAX to die. LTE is controlled by the authoritarian telcom industry - you sure you want that as the only option?

Wimax can be made as restrictive as the carrier wants. LTE can be made as restrictive as the carrier wants.

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME

Anon

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

not totally. WiMax is IEEE. LTE is a 3GPP technology- which means CONTROLLED and licenses involved. IEEE means OPEN standards.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88

Member

Re: Where is you god now wimax shills?

Are there any patents that must be licensed for WiMax? If so, its not "open".
Automate
join:2001-06-26
Atlanta, GA

3 edits

Automate to patcat88

Member

to patcat88

LTE is not nirvana

What most people don't realize is that LTE is not some kind of nirvana where everything is compatible. There are actually two LTE standards, LTE FDD and LTE TDD. Verizon, AT&T and MetroPCS are all using LTE FDD. Clear, on the other hand would most likely go with LTE TDD (also known as TD-LTE) because it is more compatible with the 2.5 GHz frequencies they own. TDD is time division duplex, the same technology that WiMax uses. In a way you could say that WiMax is closer to being compatible to the LTE that Clear will use than what Verizon is rolling out. It would be easier for a chip to support both TD-LTE and WiMax than Verizon’s LTE and WiMax.
»www.radio-electronics.co ··· plex.php

Matt3
All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC

Matt3

Premium Member

Re: LTE is not nirvana

said by Automate:

What most people don't realize is that LTE is not some kind of nirvana where everything is compatible. There are actually two LTE standards, LTE FDD and LTE TDD. Verizon, AT&T and MetroPCS are all using LTE FDM. Clear, on the other hand would most likely go with LTE TDM (also known as TD-LTE) because it is more compatible with the 2.5 GHz frequencies they own. TDD is time division duplex, the same technology that WiMax uses. In a way you could say that WiMax is closer to being compatible to the LTE that Clear is likely to switch to than what Verizon is rolling out. It would be easier for a chip to support both TD-LTE and WiMax than Verizon’s LTE and WiMax.
»www.radio-electronics.co ··· plex.php

WiMax can use TDD or FDD. Neither is "more compatible" with the 2.5GHz frequencies.
Automate
join:2001-06-26
Atlanta, GA

Automate

Member

Re: LTE is not nirvana

I was talking about TD-LTE being more compatible since the WiMax they are using in those frequencies is using TDD
Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA

Sammer to Matt3

Member

to Matt3
said by Matt3:

WiMax can use TDD or FDD. Neither is "more compatible" with the 2.5GHz frequencies.

While theoretically true, FDD WiMAX has not been deployed anywhere in the world and is not commercially available. FDD requires paired channels while TDD does not. That probably isn't a problem in the US but some countries either don't allow or don't have paired channels available at 2.5 GHz.
Expand your moderator at work

Duramax08
To The Moon
Premium Member
join:2008-08-03
San Antonio, TX

Duramax08

Premium Member

Satellites?

Im havent heard of this lightsquared that much, But the article menitons satellites. How does this work? Wont this have really bad latency?

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: Satellites?

My understanding is it's simply for the voice component in some rural markets. Satellite integration was required as part of conditions attached to the spectrum Lightsquared is using, though they recently got some FCC leniency on those requirements I'm still reading through...

WHT
join:2010-03-26
Rosston, TX

WHT

Member

Re: Satellites?

said by Karl Bode:

My understanding is it's simply for the voice component in some rural markets.

Which rules it out for low latency internet access. Lightsquared's salient selling point is to eliminate the need for terrestrial upstream backhauls (PtP microwave or fiber) from the tower sites.

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME

Anon

Re: Satellites?

they don't have to totally use the sat for Internet. They can easily create a LTE network for that just as Clear does using a home base modem.
MEohME

MEohME to WHT

Anon

to WHT
that can be done by using LTE @home stations/modems like Clear. They could also route Voice over LTE/IP and be done with it. the voice on sat could be a back-up especially otherwise there will be a noticeable delay in just using a dish for voice.
bugabuga
join:2004-06-10
Austin, TX

bugabuga to Duramax08

Member

to Duramax08
As far as I remember their plan was to use satellite link for hard-to-reach rural places, where getting fiber to the tower is impossible.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

»online.wsj.com/article/S ··· news_wsj

It's inevitable this will happen whether in 1 or 5 years if they are to compete with ATT/VZW. Sprint has to go to LTE eventually anyway - they and Tmob may as well do it together with some financial backing from DT - if the feds allow it.
criggs
join:2000-07-14
New York, NY

criggs

Member

Re: Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

said by xenophon:

they and Tmob may as well do it together

This is getting really confusing, or perhaps I'm just being dumb. Karl's scoop is that Sprint has launched Project Freedom, which will be Sprint's "liberation" from Clearwire.

But this Wall Street Journal article is saying that the Sprint-T-Mobile merger will INCLUDE Clearwire.

WTF???!!!

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

Lightsquared using Sprint's network retrofit as the cornerstone of their LTE build is our scoop. Having Lightsquared as a major LTE partner could involve getting rid of Clearwire. Sprint's preparing for that possibility.

The Journal story simply states there have been talks about merging T-Mobile and Sprint, which I think have been ongoing for some time (see this bit I wrote last summer). It also says the deal "could" include Clearwire, but that talks have been ongoing and nothing is happening right now.

Nobody knows what happens to Clearwire amidst all this movement yet.
criggs
join:2000-07-14
New York, NY

criggs

Member

Re: Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

Thanks for dissecting the two takes on the situation. I appreciate the clarification.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9 to Karl Bode

Premium Member

to Karl Bode
said by Karl Bode:

Nobody knows what happens to Clearwire amidst all this movement yet.

Drowning under increasing debt load? Sprint is/was Clear's savior. If it leaves the partnership, and Clear isn't part of whatever M&A that occurs, one can almost certainly throw Clear to the history books.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

That's my guess too, but you never know....there's some big cable names riding on that network for their "quadruple play," so a few things could happen...
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Sprint/Tmobile merger rumor is back

Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't those quadruple plays been fairly lackluster at best? I would expect a bigger advantage lies with partnering with a conglomerate including Lightsquare, and its rumored increasing backing, rather than going down with a sinking ship.

•••••••

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME to xenophon

Anon

to xenophon
Sprint would have to be "purchased" by TMO before DT would even give any money. They'll want controlling interest in that company. They're not stupid.

And there is really nothing stopping them from doing it now. Hell - look at a LOT of the US operating companies. They're mostly foreign owned- Lego is one of them. Their based in Denmark and still owned by the family that created them.
criggs
join:2000-07-14
New York, NY

criggs

Member

Sprint Liberates Their 4G From Clearwire

How might this affect happy Sprint 4G WiMax subscribers like me?

••••••

GlenQuagmire
Giggidy Giggidy Giggidy Goo
Premium Member
join:2004-02-16
Grand Rapids, MI

1 recommendation

GlenQuagmire

Premium Member

WiMAX

Does Wimax really have a future. If I remember correctly some Wimax towers can be converted to LTE by just a software upgrade.

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME

Anon

Re: WiMAX

yes it does. see above. Open Range Comm.

wi4
@verizon.net

wi4 to GlenQuagmire

Anon

to GlenQuagmire
So, as I understand it WiMax and LTE have a 85% shared technology? 4G wireless internet systems at this point are a battle of the alpha-numeric. The US national Wimax system in place is a chipset switch from the most productive and viable network MONEY can buy. Could anyone on this obvious selfserving forum allow the themselves to just talk about what makes sense? Multi-function towers are the most sensible for the ENTIRE industry. As WIMAX has proven the first to the plate, it may not be the All-Time home run hitter. In this writers opinion the winner will be the TRUE all around player if they can get the cash to see them through until they are proven. Damn, I'm sorry Sprint, T-Mobile, Clearwire and Lightsquared. The Big 2 just won again.

cruz1
@sbcglobal.net

cruz1

Anon

Still crappy frequency

I believe Lightsquared is using almost same crappy frequency range as Clear (~2.5GHz +/-) with hardly any indoor coverage so really whats the huge difference WiMax or LTE especially in coverage (most critical). Wouldn't be easier (cheaper) to switch Clear's network to LTE since they already have so much deployed rather than build a new network?

Although the thought of having additional Satellite coverage is really cool idea, I think it's just a scam to use those freqs. Even if they ever deploy a satellite, it will have capacity to cover probably 0.01% of users directly so it may be useless. Indoor coverage is critical as most people do not work in tents in open fields here in the US :P

But really, how difficult is it to make phones and devices capable of dual mode WiMax and LTE to have both? Just like the CDMA/GSM garbage ...The technologhy is there but very few phones will have both built in (Droid2 Global, etc) - why not do it for ALL phones?

••••••

TelCom64
@bellsouth.net

TelCom64

Anon

NSN

what about the huge NSN contract ?
IF Sprint got on board would NSN be totally out of the picture ?