The US satellite/terrestrial venture LightSquared has entered into a bilateral roaming agreement with SI Wireless, a group of independent rural telephone companies.
In a statement yesterday, the companies said that the agreement would provide the…
The US satellite/terrestrial venture LightSquared has entered into a bilateral roaming agreement with SI Wireless, a group of independent rural telephone companies.
In a statement yesterday, the companies said that the agreement would provide the subscribers of SI Wireless with a 4G-LTE footprint and satellite coverage in rural areas where there is no terrestrial coverage.
SI Wireless provides services to customers in Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee.
It is the latest in a series of partnerships that LightSquared is making as it rolls out its LTE network throughout the US. It is planning to operate its business on a wholesale-only basis.
The news come amid rampant speculation over LightSquared’s future.
Reports this week have suggested that it is in talks with Sprint Nextel, the number three wireless carrier in the US, over a potential partnership.
Reports last week claimed that it may be looking for an IPO, possibly as early as this summer.
LightSquared is backed by the US hedge fund Harbinger Capital Partners, which is headed by Philip Falcone.
LightSquared says that Harbinger and its affiliates have already contributed US$2.9bn of assets to the venture.
In a statement in February, LightSquared also said that it had raised over US$2bn in debt and equity over the previous seven months.
