With GPS interference issues now resolved , LightSquared’s going back to the farm to reassure rural America it means no harm. The wholesale-only 4G LTE service that already signed up a plethora of partners is popping to Sen. Byron Dorgan and Reps. George Nethercutt and Charlie Stenholm to supervise its newly-created Empower Rural America Initiative. The plan demands oversight of the service’s bucolic deployment, promising its filtering tech will keep GPS-dependent precision agriculture on-point and pesticides far from your country home. Also under the proposed guidelines are plans to help emergency first responders with network access within the event existing communication systems get knocked out. It is a comforting pat at the rustic back that are supposed to shore up “broadband adoption gap” issues currently plaguing underserved areas. But while it could appear like the farmer and the technologist could be friends, we’ve a sneaking suspicion there are more self-serving motivations at play here. Hit the break for LightSquared’s pastorally empowering PR.
RESTON, Va., July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — LightSquared™, the nation’s first wholesale-only integrated 4G-LTE wireless broadband and satellite network, announced today the creation of the Empower Rural America Initiative led by an advisory board featuring former Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and previous Representatives George Nethercutt of Washington and Charlie Stenholm of Texas.
The crowd will partner with LightSquared to:
Work with small cities and rural communities to make certain the deployment of this new satellite and broadband service;
Work with LightSquared and other parties to be sure device filters and other approaches are developed that might resolve any GPS issues relating to precision agriculture and other areas;
Be sure that LightSquared’s integrated satellite network can assist rural markets augment their broadband and GPS services to supply greater accuracy and continuity of service;
Address the original public safety concerns of small towns and rural communities by making the deployment of satellite communications services available to help people within the se areas in the event of a disaster, reminiscent of tornadoes, floods or other service disruptions to conventional communications systems;
Help close the broadband adoption gap in rural America. Broadband is important to rural areas where it should create jobs, contribute to economic development and introduce innovations in education, healthcare and public safety.
“There’s an amazing need for reliable wireless broadband for public safety, education, healthcare and economic development in rural America. We are able to have a sturdy, accurate GPS network and likewise create a considerable new resource for rural America within the style of a wireless network that reaches areas that also will not have broadband access,” said former Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota.
“LightSquared is honored to be working with this type of highly respected and devoted group of public servants. The collective wisdom of this advisory board will play a critical role in LightSquared’s efforts to deliver world-class wireless broadband service to the underserved populations of rural America,” said Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman and CEO of LightSquared.
In the course of the recent bout of violent tornadoes, LightSquared’s services were utilized by first responders and public safety officials to speak after cellular services were disrupted by the storms.
Citing these efforts, former Representative Charlie Stenholm said, “LightSquared’s ability to produce fast and effective communication services for public safety and emergency response delivers a far needed life line for small and rural communities inside the Tornado belt and other areas of rural America which are flood prone.”
“Let’s work to locate solutions in an effort to give farmers the accurate GPS signals and advanced wireless and broadband services available to rural America,” said former representative George Nethercutt. “They is not really mutually exclusive goals. The desire for ubiquitous wireless broadband services at reasonable costs is among the greatest needs in these communities.”
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