LIVE FROM CTIA WIRELESS 2011: US wholesale LTE operator LightSquared unveiled Leap Wireless and Best Buy as new customers, with chairman and CEO Sanjiv Ahuja confidently predicting his company will “transform the US mobile industry.”

In his keynote appearance this morning, Ahuja referenced yesterday’s announcement of a deal with Leap’s Cricket Communications, which he says will enable Cricket to “supplement its LTE coverage and offer its customers an even greater 4G service offering.” He also revealed that LightSquared has signed a deal with the MVNO arm of retailer Best Buy, called Best Buy Connect. The partners will begin trials in the first quarter of 2012.

Ahuja used most of his presentation to talk up his company’s unusual business model. LightSquared is using a combination of mobile and satellite spectrum to provide LTE network access to partners on a wholesale-only basis.

“The traditional wireless business model has always been vertically integrated,” noted Ahuja. “The operators manage their own networks and content, and run their own distribution and retail channels. LightSquared is completely revolutionising this model with a fully horizontal approach that will open this market to new entrants.” Ahuja claimed his company will have a similar “disruptive” effect on the mobile industry as Amazon had on the e-commerce and, later, the ereader market, Netflix had on the online video content market and Dell had on the home PC market.

Ahuja said its customers could be wireless carriers, wireline carriers, laptop manufacturers or retail stores. “Our wholesale model means we will never compete with our customers for end users. LightSquared’s model opens up the wireless industry to new players who previously couldn’t have imagined being able to offer wireless services. LightSquared’s partners can expand their service offerings by offering wireless connectivity.”

Ahuja said the company plans to cover 100 million Americans by the end of 2012, 145 million by the end of 2013 and 265 million by the end of 2015. “We are on track to not only achieve this but also exceed it,” he claimed. “We will be the nation’s first wholesale-only LTE network, complemented with satellite spectrum that will connect Americans coast to coast.” The CEO said the company plans to spend US$14 billion in network infrastructure and operations over the next eight years. 

Despite his bullish presentation, Ahuja made no comment on industry concerns that its hybrid LTE/satellite network could cause interference with existing systems (including GPS receivers) or reports that LightSquared will tie-up with Sprint. He simply ended with a promise that “in the coming days, weeks and months you will be hearing a lot more from us.”