DISH Proposes Gamma Mobile Network

DISH Network filed an Application For Transfer of Authorizations with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a waiver "to allow DISH to launch a hybrid satellite and terrestrial mobile and fixed broadband network using 40 MHz of 2 GHz Mobile-Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum to provide American consumers with greater choice for mobile broadband services."

DISH wants to combine the S-Band spectrum licensees it acquired from TerreStar Networks and DBSD North America and use those licenses to create a proposed hybrid satellite-terrestrial mobile broadband network using LTE-Advanced network technology. DISH has created a new subsidiary, Gamma Acquisition, to operate the proposed network.

LightSquared received a similar waiver from the FCC to operate a hybrid satellite-terrestrial mobile broadband network, but has since run into problems. Traffic in its hybrid network causes GPS interference. In its Application, DISH says "At a time of exponential growth in the demand for mobile broadband services and a looming spectrum crunch, DISH will put underutilized 2 GHz MSS spectrum to use. At the same time, DISH’s plan will not raise the technical issues that have hampered the use of the MSS L-band, such as the interleaving of the operators’ assignments and the severe interference claimed by systems operating in adjacent spectrum."