In an interesting move, satellite provider Dish Network applied to the Federal Communications Commission this week for a waiver that would allow it to use its recently acquired spectrum to build a 4G LTE wireless network, according to Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Chaplin.
Dish network recently acquired a number of spectrum and satellite assets from Terrestar and DBSD, so their decision to work towards building a wireless network is not completely surprising. Dish's application to the FCC specified that they would like to combine those spectrums with their satellite infrastructure to create a wireless/satellite service to create a nationwide network with coverage in rural areas, similar to LightSquared.
BTIG Research analyst Walter Piecyk doesn't believe the FCC will approve the application, thanks in part to their choice to use LTE Advanced, an upgraded version of the current LTE not yet available. "If anything, Dish may have attracted unwanted attention to the lack of buildout requirements...they are attempting to acquire with or without a waiver," Piecyk said in a
blog posting.
