NextWave Telecom Inc. said it successfully made the $12.5 million second down payment on its new 10 megahertz licenses, and now the company wants a little respect for the network construction it has accomplished during the last year.
“We have made substantial progress in our national network buildout,” said Edward Knapp, chief technical officer and senior vice president of engineering.
The company owns 63 C-block personal communications services properties. It was granted an additional 25 licenses in the recent auction of D-, E- and F-block spectrum.
With 163 million total pops in 88 PCS markets, NextWave says it is the third largest wireless franchise in the United States. NextWave also claims to be the “largest independent PCS company in the world.”
NextWave’s market holdings don’t geographically blanket the United States, as do the markets of carrier Sprint PCS. However, NextWave stresses that its licensed areas are heavily populated.
“Ninety percent of the U.S. population lives in the 50 largest markets, and we have 40 of the top 50 markets,” said NextWave spokeswoman Jennifer Walsh.
The company launched a demonstration PCS network recently in San Antonio, which will be one of the first markets NextWave plans to commercially launch.
“NextWave is well positioned to launch PCS systems in four major markets before the end of this year,” said Knapp, “and five additional markets by early next year.”
Other markets scheduled for launch this year include Boston, Orlando, Fla., and San Diego. Early next year, NextWave plans to offer service in New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Washington, D.C.-Baltimore.
“At this time, 90 percent of the microwave links needed to clear our spectrum have been relocated or will be relocated for initial network launch. We have identified and prequalified thousands of cell sites, and we have signed hundreds of leasing agreements for our PCS antennas,” Knapp said.
The company has 12 offices around the country. Seven switch sites have been acquired and are under construction; 300 cell site leases have been signed, and about 900 leases are being negotiated.
NextWave said it has invested $60 million in the network, to date. The company has $1.4 billion total in vendor financing from Hughes Network Systems Inc. and Lucent Technologies Inc.
NextWave will not sell service to the public, but intends to offer the airtime on a wholesale basis to resale companies.
