MidWave jumps into direct-to-cell game

MidWave Wireless said it owns spectrum in the 1.4GHz band that could be used to provide connections between smartphones and satellites.

The company recently asked the FCC to include its spectrum holdings in the agency's supplemental coverage from space (SCS) proceeding. That proceeding is looking at proposals from T-Mobile and SpaceX and AT&T and AST SpaceMobile to use terrestrial spectrum for phone-to-satellite connections.

"MidWave holds 64 commercial wireless licenses in the 1.4GHz band, which cover the entire nation. These licenses presently enable Wireless Medical Telemetry Services (WMTS) within more than 2,000 medical facilities across the country. On August 29, 2023, these licenses became eligible for flexible use," the company told the FCC. "This new flexible-use capability, which did not exist until the passage of the comment cycle on the SCS NPRM [Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, at the FCC], makes the 1.4GHz band an excellent candidate for the provision of SCS."

In a white paper on its website, the company also suggests its spectrum holdings could be used for private wireless networking: "The high-power 1.4GHz band is available today to service a diversity of private LTE and NR [5G New Radio] use cases in support of next-generation industrial and enterprise wireless applications."

MidWave also mentions how its indirect investment in 1.7GHz spectrum could be used by Dish Network. But Dish officials told Light Reading the company has no agreement with MidWave.

Entering the field

MidWave is backed by John Kneuer, a telecom lawyer who served in a number of federal government positions including at the NTIA, the US government agency that advises the White House on telecom policy.

Kneuer has also previously served on the board of directors for companies including Globalstar, though he is not currently listed on its board. Globalstar supplies the satellites and spectrum for Apple's iPhone satellite messaging service.

On social media, Kneuer noted that MidWave springs from bankrupt satellite company TerreStar. Dish ended up acquiring most of TerreStar's assets, adding the spectrum holdings to what it is now using for its new 5G network.

Efforts by Light Reading to contact Kneuer and other MidWave officials were unsuccessful.

A crowded playground

MidWave is one of several companies hoping to cash in on the intersection of spectrum, satellites and private networks.

For example, Ligado Networks, Omnispace and Iridium are all hoping to use their spectrum holdings to connect phones to satellites. Separately, SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile and Lynk Global want to enable those connections using the terrestrial spectrum already owned by big network operators like T-Mobile and AT&T.

Further, some of those companies – and others – have suggested that their spectrum holdings could be used for private wireless networking deployments. Companies like Anterix, Globalstar, Verizon and Dish Network are pursuing such opportunities.

But some have faced challenges. Ligado has sued the US government for covertly using its spectrum holdings for US Defense Department operations. And while Anterix has managed to sell or lease its spectrum to US utilities for private wireless network deployments, the company recently warned of a possible slowdown in demand.