LightSquared Signs 9th Wholesale User With ClearTalk Agreement

RESTON, VA. and LAS VEGAS, NEV.: LightSquared has signed yet another wholesale deal, this one with ClearTalk Wireless, a provider of flat-rate wireless phone services in the Southwest and West. The two entered into a 4G bilateral roaming agreement.

This agreement will provide ClearTalk with a nationwide 4G-LTE network that will enable the company to offer advanced broadband services. Additionally, LightSquared’s integrated satellite network will provide connectivity in rural communities in states served by ClearTalk, including Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.

LightSquared intends to offer wholesale fourth-generation, long-term evolution mobile phone service via a combination terrestrial-satellite network. Long-term evolution or LTE, is said to provide download peak data rates of 100 Mbps, and uplink rates of 50 Mbps, though end results depend on other factors such as receiver design and the amount of spectrum designated to services.

Partnering with LightSquared allows carriers to offload some of their rapidly growing data traffic and expand services into areas they otherwise don’t reach. The launch of the network awaits the final OK from the Federal Communications Commission.