Bellevue, Wash. –
4G carrier Clearwire has agreed to wholesale its service to a company formed by
a Skype co-founder who wants to offer free wireless broadband data and voice service.
The company,
called
, is backed by the
London-based
venture capital
company founded by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom. He also co-founded Kazaa
and Rdio.
Freedom Pop’s goal is “to provide disruptive
voice and Internet services to all Americans and ensure that no one is left off
the connected grid,” the company said. Initial service is targeted for 2012.
The company plans to offer a mobile broadband
service that will include VoIP. Service will be delivered to a laptop dongle, a
mobile hot spot, and a third device that hasn’t been revealed. All devices will
require a deposit to use.
Freedom Pop will
offer a paid premium service that it expects about 10 to 15 percent of
subscribers to use to subsidize free service for other users.
Previously,
Freedom Pop entered into an agreement with wholesale carrier LightSquared to
offer 4G broadband service, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
proposed yesterday to revoke its conditional approval of LightSquared’s plans
because of interference with GPS devices.
