Last week Bloomberg news reported Dish’s $1.38 Billion TerreStar Purchase Approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge.
The TerreStar 1 satellite holds the record for the being the world’s heaviest satellite and TerreStar has claimed it’s also the world’s largest and most powerful. The bird is located at 111 degrees west longitude and has an 18-meter 2 GHz reflector capable of serving all 50 of the United States, as well as Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. TerreStar offered satellite communications through a smartphone-size device.
While satellite based communications are of interest to people working in remote parts of the country or first responders to major disasters, it is possible Dish could increase the value of its purchase by building out a terrestrial network to add capacity and indoor coverage in major markets using the same spectrum. It should encounter less opposition than LightSquared’s proposal as TerreStar’s 2 GHz frequencies are far from the 1.5 GHz GPS band. Broadcasters using adjacent spectrum for ENG and AWS (Advanced Wireless Service) licensees on adjacent bands may have more concerns about interference from potential TerreStar base stations.
Many people are wondering what Dish will do with the spectrum they have recently acquired from this and previous deals and how the spectrum will fit into Dish Network’s current operations.
