Hometown Telecom to Provide Mobile Broadband Services Using LightSquared's Network

LOS ANGELES and RESTON, Va., Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- LightSquared™, a wholesale carrier building a nationwide wireless broadband network that will create consumer choice and drive industry innovation, and Hometown Telecom, a carrier specializing in low-cost, high-quality long distance plans from the world to India, have announced a wholesale agreement that will enable Hometown to offer their customers branded broadband services. This is LightSquared's first agreement with a carrier specializing in international services.

Hometown Telecom, which was ranked No. 81 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list, serves the "Non Resident Indian" community under the IndiaLD brand, which provides international long distance service to India. Hometown Telecom offers monthly long distance plans to more than 65,000 subscribers, and facilitates more than 50 million minutes to India per month. The company's other services include United Conferencing, the world's first free global conference calling service with access numbers in 30 countries on five continents. With LightSquared, Hometown Telecom will be able to offer its own competitively-priced wireless data, voice and other services, delivered over a variety of devices, and expand its business to other markets.   

"With LightSquared, Hometown Telecom has a unique opportunity to provide our rapidly expanding base of tech-savvy subscribers with high-speed wireless data and voice services," said David Schofield, president of Hometown Telecom. "Our customers have come to expect affordable long distance plans which are unmatched in quality of service, and now we can enhance our portfolio with access to LightSquared's competitively priced, state-of-the-art 4G network."

Hometown Telecom is LightSquared's 37th wholesale customer, joining a diverse group of companies, including wireless carriers, device manufacturers, nationwide retailers, regional phone companies, CLECs and mobile content providers who plan to use LightSquared's network to offer competitively-priced wireless service to their customers.

"Consumers will have access to affordable mobile broadband that complements the high-quality international long distance and other calling services they already receive from Hometown Telecom," said Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman and chief executive officer of LightSquared. "This is another example of an innovative, fast-growing company that will use the LightSquared network to deliver exciting services to its customers, and establish a competitive edge in this highly competitive marketplace."

About LightSquared

LightSquared's mission is to revolutionize the U.S. wireless industry. With the creation of the first-ever, wholesale-only nationwide 4G-LTE network integrated with satellite coverage, LightSquared offers people the speed, value and reliability of universal connectivity, wherever they are in the United States. As a wholesale-only operator, LightSquared will deploy an open 4G wireless broadband network to be used by existing and new service providers to sell their own devices, applications and services—at a competitive cost and without retail competition from LightSquared. The deployment and operation of LightSquared's network represent more than $14 billion of private investment over the next eight years. For more information about LightSquared, please go to www.LightSquared.com, www.facebook.com/LightSquared and www.twitter.com/LightSquared.

About Hometown Telecom

Hometown Telecom was founded in 2006 with the launch of FreeCallPlanet.com. Its focus on high quality, low cost international long distance with FreeCallPlanet.com proved a success and launched the company on its way. Based on learnings from FreeCallPlanet, Hometown Telecom turned its focus to serving the NRI (Non Resident Indian) community throughout the world under the IndiaLD brand. IndiaLD (http://www.indiald.com) delivers 50 million minutes a month of international long distance to India. IndiaLD has been recognized by the U.S. Commerce Association as a three-time winner of its Best in Telecom award.

Hometown Telecom is focused on developing and marketing innovative solutions to meet the needs of expat communities around the globe. It is expanding beyond international voice to include data, mobile, remittance and debit card solutions. Hometown is a provider of private-label MasterCard debit cards, and has partnered with Aircel to offer co-branded international calling plans. Its mission is to make life simple for immigrants by bundling their basic communication and financial needs with innovative ways to stay in contact with their home country.

Hometown Telecom was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in America, ranking 81st on the 2010 Inc. 500. Its partners are active managers of the business with deep roots in telecom and the Internet industries. Hometown maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Minneapolis. Additional information is available at http://www.hometowntelecom.com/.

CONTACT:

Josh Lefkowitz
Burson-Marsteller for LightSquared
Tel: (212) 614-5012
[email protected]
                       

Chris Furlong
Hometown Telecom
Tel: (323) 287-6833
[email protected]

Forward-Looking Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements and information regarding LightSquared and its business. Such statements are based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of LightSquared's management and are, therefore, subject to certain risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements expressed herein relate only to information as of the date of this release. LightSquared has no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release, nor is there any assurance that the plans or strategies discussed in this release will not change.

SOURCE LightSquared