Ligado Networks, which is seeking to build a wholesale 5G network in its L-band satellite spectrum in the USA, has signed up to trial Rakuten Communications Platform (RCP).
The aim is to use Open RAN technology to deploy 5G cost-effectively, though Ligado is still battling for final approval to run terrestrial wireless in its 40 MHz of spectrum in former mobile satellite bands (1.5/1.6 GHz). It finally looks likely to achieve this goal -, the FCC has twice voted, in recent months, to allow Ligado to run both 5G and satellite in its bands.
The effort has lasted for almost two decades, including a spell in bankruptcy protection, because of opposition from the GPS community on the grounds of interference risks, but last month the NTIA published a report that was largely favorable to Ligado on these issues, and the operator has embarked on a $4bn fundraising effort.
Rakuten announced RCP in mid-2020 as a way to pre-package hardware and software elements of a RAN and so save operators, especially smaller or greenfield players, the time and cost to integrate multiple vendors’ products inhouse. Ligado and Rakuten said the US firm would use the RCP framework to “create a blueprint for Ligado’s 5G mobile private network solution,” and “collaborate with enterprise customers on advanced use cases and the final technology stack for a launch of the 5G mobile private network offering.”
Ligado (formerly LightSquared) has always pursued a wholesale-only, enterprise-centric model and the rise of industry interest in private networks could boost its prospects, if it manages to get full and final approval to use its L-band spectrum (1.5/1.6 GHz). The aim of its cooperation with Rakuten of Japan is to develop an RCP-based platform that enterprises can use to configure Open RAN-based private networks, which Ligado would run in its spectrum on a managed services basis.
“5G mobile private networks are becoming critical infrastructure for many industries,” said Ligado CEO Doug Smith. “Combining our knowhow and licensed L-Band spectrum in the USA with the Rakuten Communications Platform and Open RAN infrastructure, we will create a novel blueprint for delivering new efficiencies to US companies looking to deploy powerful mobile private networks that are highly secure and ultra-reliable.”
Enterprise customers would be able to connect their own 5G private network(s) to their other locations, and those of partners and customers, round the world via terrestrial and satellite connections – the latter supported by Ligado’s SkyTerra 1 satellite in the USA.