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Dish buys TerreStar and DBSD, inches towards LTE future
DBSD North America and TerreStar Networks probably aren't the first two companies you think of when talking about cutting edge broadband, but they're integral to Dish Network's LTE plans. Both companies were in dire straights, with TerreStar declaring bankruptcy in 2010 and DBSD filing for Chapter 11 in 2009. But, Dish doesn't want them for their customer base or portfolio of services -- it wants their spectrum. The FCC approved the transfer of the spectrum last week, but did not grant the company a waiver to immediately start using its new radio real estate to start broadcasting LTE signals. Still, it was a good enough sign for the satellite company, which completed the purchase of the two properties. Now it just has to put those plans to expand into broadband and cellphone service into action.
AT&T to go live with TerreStar sat phone services this year
We've known that TerreStar Networks and AT&T Mobility were in bed together for quite some time, but evidently the honeymoon phase is finally reaching its logical end. Reportedly, the carrier is gearing up to go live with an extension of service that'll involve satellites and a pinch of luck, giving select customers the ability to roam between its GSM network and TerreStar's satellite network. If all goes to plan (we're not holding our breath, for the record), AT&T will begin to resell satellite service and phones soon after the bird is launched some 22,000 miles above North America on July 1st. Once perched, it'll provide coverage across Canada and the US, including the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. There's no definitive word on pricing, but we're hearing that sat phone service will run around $1 per minute while hybrid handsets will go for around $700 (unsubsidized). Pricey, sure, but how else do you plan to phone home on your next visit to the Pitcairn Islands?
