LightSquared, whose FCC waiver to launch a hybrid terrestrial/satellite wholesale 4G wireless network, has been the subject Hill scrutiny and criticism from various government agencies, announced Monday it had struck a deal with telecom company netTALK.
"This agreement reaffirms LightSquared's commitment to enable new and innovative companies such as netTALK to compete in the U.S. wireless market," said the company in a statement.
Reston, Va.-based LightSquared announced last week it was taking steps to mitigate concerns that its service will interfere with GPS devices that use an adjacent spectrum band, but that did not assuage many of its critics. The House Appropriations Committee even attached, and passed out of committee last week, an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2012 Financial Services and General Government bill that would block FCC funding to implement the waiver unless the commission took steps to insure the service would not interfere with GPS.
But sending a signal it is pushing ahead with its plans to operate a wholesale wireless business, the company said netTALK has signed a multi-year agreement to develop its own branded voice and high-speed data service. LightSquared has said it will not compete with its own retail version of the network.
LightSquared already has deals with Leap Wireless, BestBuy, Open Range Communications and others, according to the company.
