LightSquared, the proposed new wholesale LTE network operator in the US, is to switch on networks in as many as nine US markets next year, according to official company documents seen by Bloomberg. Networks are set to go live in Dallas, Chicago and Minneapolis in 2011, while the network is expected to grow to 20 cities in 2012, including New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. According to reports earlier in the year, the first commercial networks are set to go live in the third quarter of 2011, preceded by trial services in Denver and Phoenix. LightSquared CEO Sanjiv Ahuja confirmed the content of the documents, but noted that some specifics have changed since they were distributed late last year. The documents say that 300 base stations will be installed this year, rising to about 5,000 by the end of 2011, and to 13,000 by 2012. Ahuja confirmed that LightSquared is on track to begin constructing its network in December. 

LightSquared is backed by US hedge-fund Harbinger, which in July awarded Nokia Siemens Networks a US$7 billion contract to build the new network. The wholesale business model is aimed at reselling capacity to cable providers, consumer electronics companies and technology companies. Ahuja told Bloomberg that the firm was close to completing agreements with ten technology companies, but warned that “many of them could take several months to get finalised.” The firm has already struck a deal to lease some of its spectrum to Airspan Networks for use with utility applications.