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Dish Looks to Qualcomm Partnership in Capturing Wireless Broadband Market

By Jeffrey Hill | June 12, 2012

[Satellite TODAY 06-12-12] Dish Network has entered into a partnership with Qualcomm to enable support of satellite-based communications in Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 dual-core solution, the companies announced June 11.

   The Snapdragon S4 features an integrated multi-mode 3G/LTE modem for use in future Dish Network wireless devices. Dish said the new satellite air interface technology being developed by Qualcomm is a 3G-based standard that will enable the development of mobile handsets and devices that can operate in both terrestrial and satellite modes in the 2 GHz/AWS-4 band.
   The partnership follows a June decision by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to close its comment period regarding proposed rules that would provide additional flexibility for Dish to use their spectrum to deliver ground-based wireless broadband. Additionally, the spectrum could be used to support the satellite and ancillary terrestrial communications service that the company is already licensed to provide.
   “For Dish to be competitive in the wireless broadband space, it is critical that we are able to offer terrestrial broadband services to consumers. We see opportunities to serve specialized markets across the nation with satellite communications capability,” Dish Network Executive Vice President Tom Cullen said in a statement. “The tailoring of this chipset to allow both modes of operation will give Dish the ability to support truly ubiquitous connectivity across the nation.”