Former Sprint chairman Tim Donahue joins Ligado board
Ligado Networks, which prior to last month was known as LightSquared, added former Sprint Nextel executive Tim Donahue to its power-packed board of directors.
Ligado is looking to take advantage of L-Band spectrum licenses it controls in the 1.6 GHz band that under LightSquared became tangled in a regulatory morass with the GPS industry. The company last month changed its name to Ligado in a move “that signals the company’s future vision of deploying its mid-band spectrum to deliver next-generation connectivity while also conveying the company’s heritage as a network service operator providing satellite connectivity throughout the U.S. and Canada.”
Donahue left Sprint Nextel in 2006, serving as chairman of the company following Sprint’s $35 billion acquisition of Nextel Communications in 2005. Donahue had previously served as president and CEO of Nextel, which prior to its acquisition was the nation’s No. 6 carrier in terms of customer base.
Donahue joins Ligado’s board, which also includes former Verizon Communications executive Ivan Seidenberg and former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt.
“Tim is a telecom pioneer; his competitive drive and determination are quality attributes I have long admired, and it’s great that he is part of our team,” said Seidenberg. “His accomplishments at Nextel have earned him the respect of our industry, and we are certain his leadership will further strengthen our board’s breadth of experience and talent.”
LightSquared late last year emerged from bankruptcy protection precipitated by the FCC’s refusal to grant the company access to its spectrum licenses due to interference concerns with the GPS industry. LightSquared was attempting to use the spectrum as part of a network deployment plan with Sprint that would have seen it resale access to third parties.
LightSquared in December said it reached an agreement with Garmin on spectrum use parameters for terrestrial service in the 1.6 GHz L-Band that could eventually lead to freeing up more than 50 megahertz of spectrum for commercial cellular use. The agreement followed similar deals struck between LightSquared and Trimble Navigation and Deere & Co.
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