LightSquared

Sprint special October event could reveal 4G plans

Sprint is holding a special event in early October that it's dubbed "a strategy update," prompting speculation as to what strategy the carrier will discuss.

The invite sent out to the media says the event will take place in New York City on Friday, October 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. But the agenda teases only presentations by senior management and a Q&A session with no details as to the topic.

So far, speculation is pointing to Sprint's 4G future as the potential subject.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse apparently … Read more

Philip Falcone: AT&T, Verizon are undermining LightSquared

AT&T and Verizon are working "behind the scenes" to stamp out new 4G wireless entrant LightSquared, according to billionaire hedge fund manager Philip Falcone.

Falcone, speaking to CNBC today, claimed the two telecommunications giants aren't competing fairly and are using their power to undermine LightSquared, which is run by Falcone's Harbinger Capital.

LightSquared is attempting to build a nationwide 4G LTE network that it will sell on a wholesale basis to other carriers that want to resell its services. But the company has run into a major hurdle with a coalition of companies reliant … Read more

A beginner's guide to telecom jargon, part 3

The mobile world moves at a breakneck pace, and it's difficult to keep up--even without the technical jargon most industry insiders throw around. And they do love to toss those terms about.

Last week, I dabbled in Wall Street-speak after AT&T and Verizon Communications reported their quarterly financial results. But today, I wanted to get back into some of the more technical (read: geekier) aspects of the industry.

So for some light reading, here are a few terms telecom experts throw around with the assumption that everyone understands them.

Spectrum: The term used to describe the radio … Read more

3DS price drop

RIM releases the "more social" BlackBerry Messenger 6 service to share apps, the BBC launches a paid version of its iPlayer service for the iPad, and Nintendo dramatically drops the price of its 3DS handheld game device after lackluster sales.

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Nintendo loses money, drops 3DS price RIM releases BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 Verizon and AmEx partner on mobile payments Google Page Speed Service Sprint and LightSquared sign pact BBC iPlayer goes global Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (HD) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS HD

Sprint posts wider loss on bad investments

Sprint Nextel said today it fell further into the red in the second quarter as a result of losses related to bad stock investments.

Sprint also said it lost 101,000 contract subscribers in the period. The company was likely hit by the double whammy of the Apple iPhone being available at both AT&T and Verizon Wireless, while speed freaks who would have gone with Sprint's 4G service were likely drawn to Verizon's faster 4G network.

The Overland Park, Kansas, wireless provider posted a loss of $847 million, or 28 cents a share, compared with a … Read more

Sprint, LightSquared unveil network-sharing deal

Sprint Nextel and LightSquared today confirmed a long-anticipated network-sharing deal designed to spur the creation of a 4G network.

Under the terms of the 15-year deal, LightSquared will pay Sprint $9 billion in cash and an estimated $4.5 billion in credits for LTE and satellite equipment. In exchange, Sprint will host LightSquared's spectrum and provide network services, while LightSquared will have roaming access to Sprint's 3G network.

The agreement allows to LightSquared to get a jump-start on building a network without actually incurring the cost of paying for much of the equipment. The company says the agreement … Read more

LightSquared CEO upbeat at one-year milestone

LightSquared Chief Executive Sanjiv Ahuja is trying to have his cake and eat it too. Literally.

Ahuja and his management team will celebrate his upstart company's first anniversary on Thursday with cake and ice cream--a tradition from his days running France Telecom's wireless giant Orange.

The milestone comes as LightSquared has quelled some doubts about the validity of its planned 4G network through a few customer wins and a round of financing. But it continues to face resistance from the traditional telecommunications giants, as well as the GPS industry, which has loudly expressed its concern that LightSquared's … Read more

Scoop: Sprint to confirm LightSquared network deal

Sprint Nextel will confirm its network-sharing agreement with LightSquared in conjunction with its earnings announcement on July 28, according to people familiar with the situation.

The agreement, in which Sprint's network will be used as the infrastructure backbone to LightSquared's upcoming 4G Long-Term Evolution network, will shed some light on where Sprint wants to head with its own 4G ambitions. The company was supposed to have provided an update on plans for its next-generation network by the middle of the year, but has pushed back its announcement.

While Sprint came on to the 4G scene early with partner … Read more

LightSquared to FCC: We can fix GPS issues

LightSquared, the hedge-fund-backed start-up that plans to build a nationwide wireless 4G network using both satellite and land-based spectrum, today filed its official plan for reducing interference between its service and GPS navigation systems.

LightSquared acknowledged earlier this month that its initial network plan interfered with GPS navigation devices, such as those used in cars, on boats, and by the U.S. Department of Defense. But the company said its new proposal will solve most of those issues. And the company called on the GPS community, which has been critical of LightSquared's plans, to help it resolve the remaining … Read more