Dish announced Monday that it was collaborating with Qualcomm to fund development of support for satellite-based communications in Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 platform. Dish said the initiative will enable the development of mobile handsets and devices for Dish that can operate in both terrestrial and satellite modes in the 2 GHz/AWS-4 band.
The FCC has proposed rules that would provide Dish additional flexibility in the use of its 2 GHz AWS/mobile satellite service spectrum.
“For Dish to be competitive in the wireless broadband space, it is critical that we are able to offer terrestrial broadband services to consumers,” said Tom Cullen, Dish executive VP. “In addition, we see opportunities to serve specialized markets across the nation with satellite communications capability. With the rulemaking still underway, the Qualcomm development funding is a risk-based investment, yet it is important for us to accelerate a long-term path to developing both the satellite and ground-based mobile markets. The tailoring of this chipset to allow both modes of operation will give Dish the ability to support truly ubiquitous connectivity across the nation.”
Cullen noted that Dish wanted to move out as quickly as possible in being able to provide more wireless broadband connectivity.
“We're confident in our ability to deliver a competitive wireless service while supporting mobile satellite communications services that will appeal to a variety of markets, including first-responders and disaster relief, as well as consumers and businesses in remote locations,” he said.
