NextWave has announced the launch of a private Band 41 (2.5GHz) network in the New York metropolitan area via its NextWave NYC subsidiary. The phase one deployment covers large portions of Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs, including major transportation and industrial operation areas. The second phase deployment is expected to cover the entire New York metro area – approximately 15 million people – by early 2023. Facility-based 5G small cell networks will be overlaid by a dual 4G/5G wide-area network, the company explains. Going forward, connectivity will be extended to markets such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and Philadelphia in 2023.

Frank Cassou, president and CEO of NextWave, commented: ‘While the private networking era is clearly here, industrial and enterprise users still must cope with both limited ecosystems and limited network coverage. The launch of NextWave’s Band 41 (2.5GHz) service in New York demonstrates the extraordinary value of using conventional wireless carrier spectrum for private network applications. Unlike other private networking options, the NextWave solution provides both wide-area coverage and the ability to utilise popular smartphones and other widely available mobile broadband devices.’

According to Fierce Wireless, Frank Cassou is one of the original members of the NextWave management team from the 1990s. The telco spent USD4.74 billion on PCS licences, only to collapsebankruptcy after failing to meet its repayments. The frequencies in question were duly repossessed and resold to bidders including Verizon Wireless.