https://tmfassociates.com/blog/2012/05/10/up-down-spin-around/ Satellites, spectrum and other stuff Tue, 03 Feb 2026 21:36:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 https://tmfassociates.com/blog/2012/05/10/up-down-spin-around/comment-page-1/#comment-900 TMF Associates MSS blog » How many billionaires does it take to screw in a LightSquared? Thu, 24 May 2012 23:12:49 +0000 http://tmfassociates.com/blog/?p=3392#comment-900 [...] In my last post, I noted the skepticism of some observers about whether Charlie Ergen was really behind Sound Point buying $350M of LightSquared’s first lien debt, despite one potentially logical technical solution that could combine LightSquared’s spectrum (as uplinks) with the TerreStar and DBSD spectrum (if that was all converted to downlinks). Indeed LightSquared itself proposed to the FCC last week that the 2GHz spectrum could be used for its downlinks as one of the options for a spectrum swap and suggested in its comments in the DISH AWS-4 proceeding that the FCC should redesignate DISH’s 2GHz uplinks as downlink spectrum. [...] [...] In my last post, I noted the skepticism of some observers about whether Charlie Ergen was really behind Sound Point buying $350M of LightSquared’s first lien debt, despite one potentially logical technical solution that could combine LightSquared’s spectrum (as uplinks) with the TerreStar and DBSD spectrum (if that was all converted to downlinks). Indeed LightSquared itself proposed to the FCC last week that the 2GHz spectrum could be used for its downlinks as one of the options for a spectrum swap and suggested in its comments in the DISH AWS-4 proceeding that the FCC should redesignate DISH’s 2GHz uplinks as downlink spectrum. [...]

]]> https://tmfassociates.com/blog/2012/05/10/up-down-spin-around/comment-page-1/#comment-897 LightSquared Bankruptcy Triggers DISH Spectrum Purchase Speculation Telecompetitor Tue, 15 May 2012 16:07:00 +0000 http://tmfassociates.com/blog/?p=3392#comment-897 [...] idea of how DISH might use the spectrum apparently originated in a blog post penned by Tim Farrar, a satellite broadband analyst with TMF [...] [...] idea of how DISH might use the spectrum apparently originated in a blog post penned by Tim Farrar, a satellite broadband analyst with TMF [...]

]]> https://tmfassociates.com/blog/2012/05/10/up-down-spin-around/comment-page-1/#comment-893 It’s official: LightSquared goes bankrupt — Broadband News and Analysis Mon, 14 May 2012 19:22:58 +0000 http://tmfassociates.com/blog/?p=3392#comment-893 [...] may be one exception. As TMF analyst Tim Farrar postulated in his blog, Dish Network might have a way of cleaning up LightSquared’s spectrum. Dish owns S-band satellite [...]

]]> https://tmfassociates.com/blog/2012/05/10/up-down-spin-around/comment-page-1/#comment-884 Deal or die time for LightSquared; Will Dish swoop in? | TechDiem.com Sun, 13 May 2012 23:31:05 +0000 http://tmfassociates.com/blog/?p=3392#comment-884 [...] little, but satellite broadband analyst Tim Farrar thinks there may be one interested party: Dish. In his blog, Farrar wrote that Dish might seek to pair its own S-band satellite frequencies with [...] [...] little, but satellite broadband analyst Tim Farrar thinks there may be one interested party: Dish. In his blog, Farrar wrote that Dish might seek to pair its own S-band satellite frequencies with [...]

]]> https://tmfassociates.com/blog/2012/05/10/up-down-spin-around/comment-page-1/#comment-881 Deal or die time for LightSquared; Will Dish swoop in? — Broadband News and Analysis Sun, 13 May 2012 22:11:20 +0000 http://tmfassociates.com/blog/?p=3392#comment-881 [...] little, but satellite broadband analyst Tim Farrar thinks there may be one interested party: Dish. In his blog, Farrar wrote that Dish might seek to pair its own S-band satellite frequencies with [...] [...] little, but satellite broadband analyst Tim Farrar thinks there may be one interested party: Dish. In his blog, Farrar wrote that Dish might seek to pair its own S-band satellite frequencies with [...]

]]> https://tmfassociates.com/blog/2012/05/10/up-down-spin-around/comment-page-1/#comment-878 timfarrar Fri, 11 May 2012 15:43:46 +0000 http://tmfassociates.com/blog/?p=3392#comment-878 Ergen and the FCC are already intending to convert the 2GHz MSS band to terrestrial, because there is little to no value in being a new entrant satellite service provider, in a small, highly competitive market. There is no 2GHz usage to "consolidate" into the L-band, and there is no rationale for moving Big LEO band users (the Big LEO uplinks are close enough to GPS to still cause problems, and if you want to use the S-band downlinks you can go ask Globalstar: any barriers to use of that spectrum are nothing whatsoever to do with Globalstar's existing satellite users). Fundamentally it would be pointless to spend $1B+ to buy LightSquared simply to offer satellite service. Ergen and the FCC are already intending to convert the 2GHz MSS band to terrestrial, because there is little to no value in being a new entrant satellite service provider, in a small, highly competitive market. There is no 2GHz usage to “consolidate” into the L-band, and there is no rationale for moving Big LEO band users (the Big LEO uplinks are close enough to GPS to still cause problems, and if you want to use the S-band downlinks you can go ask Globalstar: any barriers to use of that spectrum are nothing whatsoever to do with Globalstar’s existing satellite users). Fundamentally it would be pointless to spend $1B+ to buy LightSquared simply to offer satellite service.

]]> https://tmfassociates.com/blog/2012/05/10/up-down-spin-around/comment-page-1/#comment-877 Argo4288 Fri, 11 May 2012 12:12:30 +0000 http://tmfassociates.com/blog/?p=3392#comment-877 What about the possibility that Ergen wants the LightSquared spectrum so that he can consolidate satellite uses in other bands into the L-band and then convert that other satellite spectrum into terrestrial spectrum? Ergen is smart enough to know that DoD and DoT won't allow any terrestrial uses in the L-band in the foreseeable future. Perhaps he sees LightSquared as an opportunity to buy satellite spectrum on the cheap and clear out other satellite bands. What about the possibility that Ergen wants the LightSquared spectrum so that he can consolidate satellite uses in other bands into the L-band and then convert that other satellite spectrum into terrestrial spectrum? Ergen is smart enough to know that DoD and DoT won’t allow any terrestrial uses in the L-band in the foreseeable future. Perhaps he sees LightSquared as an opportunity to buy satellite spectrum on the cheap and clear out other satellite bands.

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