Update: I was correct, they are leasing Lower 700MHz A/B spectrum in a few markets, BRS (2.4GHz) in 1 market, Lower 700MHz C/D in a few markets. So this is not being deployed in the Public Safety Upper 700MHz band. On the other hand, I was incorrect in inferring this was for public safety, this is for a new targeted market, what they call ‘critical’ infrastructure ex:gas/oil facilities. I suspect there will be lots of m2m like telemetry riding the waves too. This is a very interesting development! Go LTE ecosystem! 

Just keep that info up top in mind…

 Interesting announcement from Infrastructure Networks is intriguing in two dimensions for me. Firstly, the ecosystem for LTE is growing with this company focusing on an LTE for Public Safety deployment and secondly Infrastructure Networks deploys a large area of LTE for Public Safety in West Texas. This means the folks in West Texas got motivated and made things happen with respect to LTE whereas many others are just on the sidelines. Interesting. The Public Safety band in upper 700MHz is a great choice for rural areas based on the propagation characteristics, however from reading this: 

 Founded in March of 2011, Infrastructure Networks has been expanding network coverage under licensed spectrum holdings that cover more than 150,000 square miles of the Bakken Shale in North Dakota, the Eagle Ford Shale and Permian Basin in Texas and large parts of West Texas, the Texas panhandle, Eastern New Mexico and Kern County, California.

Sounds like they have some lower 700MHz, huh?

 Spectrum holdings of Infrastructure Networks:

 Their coverage area for this West Texas deployment:

Link: infrastructurenetworks.com

Full PR:

http://www.infrastructurenetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/LTE-in-Permian-Basin_PR.pdf

PR Text:

Infrastructure Networks Rolls Out The First LTE Network For

Critical Infrastructure In The Heart of The Permian Basin

Houston, Texas, United States, July 25, 2012

Infrastructure Networks, a Houston, Texas-based provider of broadband wireless networks to Critical Infrastructure

Industries, has announced that it recently deployed 5 LTE (Long-Term Evolution) wireless broadband coverage sites in

the Permian Basin area of West Texas. These are the first LTE sites to be exclusively dedicated to the needs of Critical

Infrastructure entities, and their launch makes Infrastructure Networks one of only a handful of companies, including

Verizon, AT&T and Metro PCS, to operate an LTE network in North America.

Traditionally, retail and consumer based providers such as Verizon have not focused their coverage on less populated

rural areas. However, those remote areas, such as the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale in Texas and the Bakken

Shale in North Dakota, are often home to a heavy concentration of Critical Infrastructure operations. This lack of adequate

coverage has created a window of opportunity which has motivated Infrastructure Networks’ initial efforts.

Phillip Liddell, Infrastructure Networks’ Vice President of Engineering, personally oversaw the implementation of the

network. “We are very pleased with the network test results to date.” stated Liddell. “The propagation characteristics of

the 700MHz spectrum are outstanding and support our ability to rapidly deploy a high quality LTE network in West Texas,

as well as other areas of Texas and North Dakota where we have 700MHz spectrum holdings.”

“We are extremely proud to be rolling out this network, which will be the foundation of a first of its kind service anywhere.”

added Infrastructure Networks CEO Stan Hughey. ”We formed this company specifically to service the needs of Critical

Infrastructure entities, and are excited to be at the very forefront of providing high bandwidth, low latency, secure solutions

that can be rapidly integrated into our customers existing communications infrastructure.”

Infrastructure Networks Executive Vice-President Kori Kalich-Ugalde is coordinating testing and demonstrations with

several company partners over the next month, and expects full scale provisioning of services to begin shortly thereafter.

“While we continue to demonstrate our new capabilities in the Permian Basin, we are also accelerating the expansion

and upgrade of our existing network coverage in the Texas panhandle.” she stated.

Founded in March of 2011, Infrastructure Networks has been expanding network coverage under licensed spectrum

holdings that cover more than 150,000 square miles of the Bakken Shale in North Dakota, the Eagle Ford Shale and

Permian Basin in Texas and large parts of West Texas, the Texas panhandle, Eastern New Mexico and Kern County,

California.