Omnispace and Ligado Networks Join Forces to Create Largest Portfolio of Licensed, Satellite Spectrum for Global Direct-to-Device Voice, Text and Data Connectivity

Omnispace and Ligado Networks today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to combine their respective licensed mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum to enable the world's most capable space-based, direct-to-device (D2D) solutions for global voice, text and data connectivity. Utilizing large blocks of satellite spectrum in the L- and S-Bands, this agreement sets the stage for the development of multi-band, multi-orbit satellite offerings to enable ubiquitous mobile connectivity for more than 5 billion mobile subscribers in areas where terrestrial cellular coverage does not exist today.

The companies' collaboration would use portions of Ligado's 40 MHz of L-band satellite spectrum in the U.S. and Canada and Omnispace's 60 MHz of S-band satellite spectrum (3GPP 5G bands n255 and n256). The combination would bring together for the first time the largest block of satellite spectrum dedicated to meeting a global market need for text, voice and data capability. The satellite spectrum assembled by the companies is licensed, 3GPP-standardized for non-terrestrial networks (NTN) and already in compliance with existing international ITU and U.S. regulations. Additionally, the collaboration anticipates optimizing multi-orbit geostationary (GEO) and non-geostationary (NGSO) networks to provide seamless, global coverage for D2D use cases across key markets, including consumer smartphone, automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity.