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Tag: Charlie Ergen

  • Dish Network Is Bleeding Customers, But Counting on 5G to Save It

    Dish Network Is Bleeding Customers, But Counting on 5G to Save It

    Dish Network reported its fourth-quarter results, and the numbers weren’t pretty as the company races to deploy its 5G network.

    Best-known for its satellite TV service, Dish is poised to become the fourth nationwide carrier in the US, replacing Sprint. Although US regulators cleared T-Mobile to purchase Sprint, there was concern about the wireless market consolidating to three major players, instead of four. As a result, as terms for the merger, regulators demanded T-Mobile and Sprint turn over some assets to Dish in an effort to establish it as a successful fourth carrier.

    The company has been making major headway in its efforts to roll out its 5G network, and told investors it plans to cover 20% of the US by June, according to CNET. Regulators had previously set June as the deadline for Dish to reach that milestone.

    Getting that large a portion of its 5G network up and running can’t happen fast enough for the company. In its latest quarter, Dish reported $522 million in revenue, down from $733 million a year ago. Similarly, EPS came in at $0.87 a share, down from $1.24. The company also lost a net total of 245,000 wireless subscribers and 237,000 pay-TV subscribers.

    According to The Wall Street Journal, Chairman Charlie Ergen took responsibility for the delays in the company’s 5G rollout, saying they “just didn’t anticipate that we’d have to do as much on the technical side.”

    For Dish’s sake, hopefully the company doesn’t run into any further delays as it pivots to 5G.

  • Dish Network Partners With AWS for Its 5G Network

    Dish Network Partners With AWS for Its 5G Network

    Dish Network and AWS have announced a partnership, the first of its kind in the telecom industry, with Dish using AWS for its 5G deployment.

    Dish Network is working to roll out its 5G network. The company is trying to diversify from its traditional satellite TV service, and become the fourth nationwide wireless carrier. Dish received a major boost thanks to the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, with the terms of the agreement requiring T-Mobile to sell off some of its wireless assets to Dish.

    As part of its rollout, Dish is building its network around Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN). O-RAN is a specification that allows a carrier to use equipment from multiple vendors, rather than being locked in to a single one.

    Dish has chosen AWS as its cloud provider, and will build its 5G network on AWS.

    “Through this collaboration with AWS, we will operate not just as a communications services provider, but as a digital services provider harnessing the combined power of 5G connectivity and the cloud. Together, we will enable our customers to take full advantage of the potential of 5G. Our approach will revolutionize wireless connectivity by giving customers the ability to customize and scale their network experience on-demand,” said Charlie Ergen, DISH co-founder and chairman. “As a new carrier, leveraging AWS and its extensive network of partners enables us to differentiate ourselves by operating our 5G network with a high degree of automation, utilizing the talent of AWS-trained developers and helping our customers bring new 5G applications to market faster than ever before.”

    “DISH’s cloud-native and truly virtualized 5G network is a clear example of how AWS customers can use our proven infrastructure and unparalleled portfolio of services to reinvent industries,” said Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services, Inc. “This collaboration means DISH and its customers can bring new consumer- and enterprise-centric services to the market as quickly as they’re created to deliver on the promise of 5G. Together, we’re opening the door to new technologies that will transform factories, workplaces, entertainment, and transportation in ways people have only dreamed.”

  • Dish Faces Concerns Whether It Can Build Network Within Budget

    Dish Faces Concerns Whether It Can Build Network Within Budget

    Analysts are concerned that Dish Network may not be able to fully establish a standalone wireless network for $10 billion.

    As part of the deal to allow T-Mobile and Sprint to merge, Dish acquired spectrum to establish itself as a fourth wireless carrier. The move was to address anti-competitive concerns if the market went from four to three major carriers. For Dish, however, that means taking the spectrum it is acquiring from Sprint and building out much of its network from scratch.

    In the Q4 earnings call, Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen defended the company’s ability to deliver the network within budget, citing a number of newer technologies that would assist.

    • One significant factor is Dish’s plan to use OpenRan technology, a standard that helps wireless operators use equipment from different vendors. This helps prevent them from getting locked into a single vendor whose equipment may be more expensive, or who may raise prices down the road.
    • Dish will also be relying heavily on automation and cloud-based software to run its new network.
    • A third, significant factor, is the lack of technical debt, the term used to describe the costs associated with maintaining legacy hardware and software, and ensuring backward compatibility. Anytime the other major networks roll out a big change, they have to keep one eye looking to the past, ensuring they don’t break something that will impact customers. In rolling out a new network, Dish has none of those concerns.

    Another factor that should also alleviate some of the pressure is the deal Dish has with T-Mobile to piggyback on its network for up to seven years while it builds out its own. Analysts and customers alike will be watching closely to see if Dish’s optimistic outlook pays off.