Dish Network lays out LTE plans

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Dish Network lays out LTE plans

Applies for FCC waiver to build national LTE-Advanced system in S-band, will need partnerships with Sprint or LightSquared

By CAROLINE GABRIEL

Published: 23 August, 2011

READ MORE: Spectrum | US | Regulator | Satellite | LTE

Dish Network has been enigmatic about its plans for the S-band mobile satellite (MSS) spectrum it has acquired from two bankrupt firms, DBSD and TerreStar. But now it has shown its hand, applying to the FCC to combine the two holdings into a single licence. It is also seeking a waiver - similar to that provisionally granted to LightSquared - to allow it to operate terrestrial-only 4G services in the band.

The operator wants to build a hybrid network using its 40MHz of newly acquired spectrum under a subsidiary called Gamma. Its outlined plans come with a strong sense of déjà vu - like LightSquared, it wants to harness MSS spectrum to build hybrid networks for MVNOs, but allow them to operate terrestrial-only (or satellite-only) services, rather than the hybrid offerings currently required in these bands. And like the other 4G wholesaler, Clearwire, it aims to move quickly to LTE-Advanced.

It is pretty much certain that the US cannot support three wholesale 4G operations, no matter the scale of the mobile data explosion, but Dish may be looking to combine forces with LightSquared, or to step into the breach should the latter's GPS interference issues prove intractable (Dish's frequencies are further from GPS bands than the start-up's L-band). And Clearwire's future also hangs in the balance, at least until Sprint decides whether to include it in its own 4G strategy, which will rely heavily on reseller deals. Sprint already has a network sharing agreement with LightSquared and could potentially include Dish in a similar alliance, in which it hosts the partner's network, reducing costs, in return for access to some of the capacity.

However the mesh of relationships works out, Dish wants to play its part in the 4G world. According to a research note from Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Chaplin, the satellite TV company has committed to a "realistic" build-out schedule in its FCC application. It aims to support its own two-way broadband services to complement its TV offerings, and also generate new revenues from MVNOs. It is tempting the FCC with promises of rural connections for underserved areas, national coverage and "certain substantial terrestrial network deployment commitments".

However, the specific plan to deploy LTE-Advanced raises questions over timing, given that Verizon Wireless already has 50% of the US population covered with 4G and Clearwire believes it can introduce TD-LTE to much of its WiMAX footprint within a year (if it can raise the money). By contrast, LTE-Advanced is only being tested in pre-standard form, since it is not yet finalized, although it will be backwards compatible with the current platform.

Dish said it is prepared to work with the FCC "to develop a reasonable, attainable build-out schedule keyed to commercial availability of the LTE-Advanced standard," and also "consistent with FCC precedent and based on the build-out principles established" in Sprint Nextel's combination of its spectrum assets with Clearwire's. The Sprint requirements were 15m POPs in four years and 30m POPs within six years. "That is materially short of LightSquared's commitment to build 100m POPs by the end of next year and 160m POPs by the end of 2015 in order to obtain its waiver to offer terrestrial-only services," wrote BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk.

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