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Tag: Dish Network

  • Ransomware Survival 101: Don’t Follow Dish Network’s Playbook

    Ransomware Survival 101: Don’t Follow Dish Network’s Playbook

    Dish Network customers are still in limbo, with few answers weeks after the company was crippled by ransomware.

    Dish began experiencing major issues with its website, internal systems, and customer portal going offline in late February. Roughly a week later, the company admitted to suffering a massive ransomware attack, one that crippled operations and resulted in the theft of customer data.

    According to TechCrunch, Dish customers still have no idea what is going on, with many of them unable to access customer support, pay their bills, or get any kind of useful information.

    In fact, a number of customers have had their service disconnected because they have been unable to log into the customer portal to pay their bills. Others are already experiencing voice and email phishing attempts as hackers try to exploit the lack of information from Dish to take advantage of customers looking for answers.

    Company spokesperson Edward Wietecha told TechCrunch that “customers are having trouble reaching our service desks, accessing their accounts, and making payments.” When asked if the company was disconnecting users, Wietecha added that “customers who had their service temporarily suspended for nonpayment received additional time until our payment systems were restored.”

    In addition to the trouble Dish’s own customers are having, there is potential for the problem to be much worse and extend beyond Dish’s roughly 10 million customers. A former Dish retailer told TechCrunch that the company retains a veritable treasure trove of customer data from anyone who has ever signed up for Dish service, including those who never became customers because they didn’t pass the credit check. The information includes “customer names, dates of birth, email addresses, telephone numbers, Social Security numbers, and credit card information.” What’s more, it appears that Dish’s policy is to retain the information indefinitely.

    Overall, Dish is providing a case study of how not to handle a ransomware attack for any company that wants to come out the other side still having customers.

  • Dish Network Customer Data Stolen in Ransomware Attack

    Dish Network Customer Data Stolen in Ransomware Attack

    More details have emerged regarding Dish Network’s recent outage, including the fact that customer data was stolen in the incident.

    Dish began experiencing major issues Thursday morning, with employees unable to work or access internal systems. The company’s website was also down. At the time, CEO Erik Carlson chalked it up to an “internal outage.”

    In a filing with the SEC, however, the company has admitted the issue was the result of a ransomware attack, one that compromised customer data:

    On February 27, 2023, the Corporation became aware that certain data was extracted from the Corporation’s IT systems as part of this incident. It is possible the investigation will reveal that the extracted data includes personal information. The measures described above are continuing while the Corporation, with the assistance of third-party experts and advisors, investigates the extent of the cyber-security incident.

    The company is working to restore the impacted services and is working with law enforcement.

  • Dish.com Is Down, Employees Unable to Work

    Dish.com Is Down, Employees Unable to Work

    Dish Network is experiencing a major outage, one that has crippled its website and stopped employees from working.

    According to The Verge, Dish began experiencing issues Thursday morning. The company’s website displays a notice saying it is experiencing problems, and the company’s internal apps and customer support systems are also impacted. What’s more, employees are reportedly being kept in the dark about what is going on.

    The outage began around the same time as the company’s Q4 earnings, giving CEO Erik Carlson an opportunity to address the problems. He said that Dish, Sling, and the company’s wireless network are operational, but that “internal communications, customer care functions, Internet sites” are all down.

    The Verge also goes on to point out that customers are unable to pay their bills, although company reps are assuring customers they won’t lose service if they can’t pay their bill as a result of the outage:

  • Disney Channels Are Back on Dish and Sling TV

    Disney Channels Are Back on Dish and Sling TV

    Dish Network and Sling TV customers once again have access to Disney-owned channels after the two companies reached a tentative agreement.

    Contract renewal negotiations between Dish Network and Disney broke down when the two companies could not come to an agreement on price. As a result, Dish and Sling TV customers lost access to t, ABC Owned Television Stations, ESPN networks, Disney channels, Freeform, FX networks, National Geographic channels, and BabyTV.

    According to a statement provided to WPN, Disney and Dish have reached a “handshake” agreement that sees the channels restored, at least temporarily.

    “We have reached a handshake agreement with DISH/Sling TV, which properly reflects fair market value and terms for The Walt Disney Company’s unparalleled content,” the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution spokesperson said. “As a result, we are pleased to restore our portfolio of networks on a temporary basis while both parties work to finalize a new deal.”

    Hopefully, the two companies will be able to hammer out the final terms and keep the channels available permanently.

  • Dish Network and Sling TV Lose Disney-Owned Channels

    Dish Network and Sling TV Lose Disney-Owned Channels

    Dish Network and its Sling TV streaming service have lost Disney-owned channels as a result of a contract dispute.

    Contract disputes are an almost everyday occurrence in the TV industry, with networks and streaming services often going to the brink, or even over it, in an effort to negotiate better terms for themselves. Disney and Dish have found themselves in such a spot, with the two companies unable to reach an agreement regarding their contract renewal.

    As a result, ABC Owned Television Stations, ESPN networks, Disney channels, Freeform, FX networks, National Geographic channels, and BabyTV have been dropped from Dish and Sling TV.

    “After months of negotiating in good faith, DISH has declined to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us for continued distribution of our networks,” a Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution spokesperson said in a statement to WPN. “As a result, their DISH and Sling TV subscribers have lost access to our unrivaled portfolio of live sports and news plus kids, family and general entertainment programming from the ABC Owned Television Stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks, the National Geographic channels and BabyTV. The rates and terms we are seeking reflect the marketplace and have been the foundation for numerous successful deals with pay TV providers of all types and sizes across the country. We’re committed to reaching a fair resolution, and we urge DISH to work with us in order to minimize the disruption to their customers.”

    It remains to be seen whether the two companies will be able to reach an agreement that will see the channels restored.

    In the meantime, the situation is another example of how streaming TV is failing to deliver on its promise. Once upon a time, the concept was touted as a way for consumers to save money and pick and choose the channels they want to watch.

    The reality has been far different, with increasing prices, unwanted bundles, and companies that fail to put the consumer first.

    Hopefully, the situation will be resolved sooner rather than later.

  • DirecTV Joins SpaceX, OneWeb in Objecting to Dish Network’s 5G Plans

    DirecTV Joins SpaceX, OneWeb in Objecting to Dish Network’s 5G Plans

    The hits keep on coming for Dish Network’s 5G plans, with rival DirecTV contacting the FCC with concerns about the impact on satellite TV.

    Dish Network is working to roll out its 5G network. Once known almost exclusively for satellite TV, US regulators want Dish to be the nation’s fourth nationwide carrier, replacing Sprint. In order to achieve that, the company is looking to utilize 12GHz spectrum for its 5G network.

    Unfortunately, SpaceX has raised concerns about Dish’s use of 12GHz spectrum since it falls in the same range as that used by SpaceX to downlink its Starlink satellites with their corresponding ground base stations. SpaceX has warned that its customers will see outages 74% of the time. OneWeb, SpaceX’s British rival, has backed up those claims, saying Dish’s plans would cause significant disruptions.

    DirecTV is now joining the chorus, according to SpaceNews, warning that Dish’s plans would exceed limits designed to protect Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) systems by 100 to 100,000x.

    “Unlike broadband systems, which can replace lost [data] packets through two-way communications, DBS packets lost to interference result in frozen video screens—and canceled subscriptions,” wrote Stacy Fuller, DirecTV’s senior vice president of external affairs, in a letter to the FCC.

    “Accordingly, the Commission should terminate this proceeding and give incumbent satellite operators in the band the certainty they need to continue to invest in developing and delivering advanced services for American consumers.”

    Dish has denied SpaceX’s claims, but the growing chorus of objections is bound to raise concerns at the FCC, especially given the agency’s emphasis on closing the digital divide in the US. Starlink is already proving an invaluable part of that effort, lending weight to concerns it raises about interference.

  • OneWeb Throws Its Weight Behind SpaceX in Dish Network Dispute

    OneWeb Throws Its Weight Behind SpaceX in Dish Network Dispute

    SpaceX received some help from satellite internet competitor OneWeb, with the latter sending its own study to the FCC in support of SpaceX.

    OneWeb is a British satellite internet company and SpaceX’s main competitor. Despite being rivals, OneWeb has sent its own study to the FCC supporting SpaceX’s claims that Dish Network’s 5G plans will harm satellite internet.

    The issue stems from Dish’s plans to use 12GHz spectrum to roll out its 5G network. The spectrum is the same as that used by SpaceX and OneWeb for the downlink between their satellites and ground-based relays. SpaceX claims Dish’s 5G network will significantly interfere with that downlink, leading to outages for its customers 74% of the time.

    Despite Dish claiming that SpaceX is engaging in a “misinformation campaign,” OneWeb agrees with SpaceX, according to their filing with the FCC:

    As demonstrated by the record and reinforced herein, the answer to the Commission’s question is: Yes, there will be harmful interference to the satellite operators providing critical connectivity to communities across the United States. Yet, those hoping to change the rules for this critical spectrum band continue to ignore the people and communities OneWeb can and will help.

    OneWeb goes on to make similar statements as SpaceX, saying that the studies that Dish was a part of fail to look at the complete picture and “blatantly ignore” other critical factors.

    The OneWeb study reaches the same unavoidable conclusion as every other study that precedes it in the record: regardless of the assumptions made with respect to NGSO FSS and two-way terrestrial deployments, harmful interference from the proposed terrestrial service will not only exceed the existing interference envelope for MVDDS in the 12 GHz band, but will cause additional harmful interference.

    It remains to be seen how the FCC will rule, but the evidence appears to be mounting in favor of SpaceX and OneWeb.

  • Dish Network Fires Back at SpaceX ‘Misinformation Campaign’ on 12GHz 5G

    Dish Network Fires Back at SpaceX ‘Misinformation Campaign’ on 12GHz 5G

    Dish Network has helped publish a lengthy response to what it calls a “misinformation campaign” by SpaceX regarding Dish’s plans to use 12GHz spectrum for 5G.

    Dish is in the process of building out its 5G network in an effort to become the fourth nationwide carrier in the US. SpaceX has taken issues with Dish’s plans to use 12GHz spectrum, saying it will interfere with the downlink connection between Starlink satellites and ground-based relays. SpaceX has even recruited more than 95,000 of its Starlink customers to petition the FCC to block Dish’s plans and even accused the latter of trying to mislead the FCC with studies showing the technologies could coexist.

    According to Dish, however, SpaceX is the one that has used misleading data to make its point. A post by the 5Gfor12GHz Coalition, of which Dish is a member, makes the case that Starlink cherry-picked its data points and grossly exaggerated others.

    For example, when discussing how much Dish’s use of 12GHz spectrum could interfere with its downlink, SpaceX used Las Vegas, Nevada, as its data point. According to Dish, Las Vegas was a “cherry-picked partial economic area (PEA” as a result of unique factors.

    Given its unique topology and morphology, Las Vegas is among the most unfavorable geographies to analyze for co-existence (nearly ten times as unfavorable for 5G/satellite coexistence as the national average).

    Similarly, Dish accuses SpaceX of ‘grossly distorting’ 5G network configuration to make its point.

    If the assumptions SpaceX uses in Las Vegas are extrapolated nationwide, they would necessitate the deployment of over 600,000 macro 12 GHz sites across the country. This is wholly unrealistic, as leading nationwide carrier AT&T currently uses only 67,000 macrocells to provide coverage across the entire country to its 81 million subscribers, and with its entire portfolio of spectrum spanning 600 MHz-39 GHz.

    Dish and the 5Gfor12GHz Coalition’s response demonstrates this 5G scuffle is far from over, and the FCC will clearly have its hands full trying to untangle the matter.

  • Nearly 100,000 Starlink Users Petition FCC to Block Dish’s 12GHz 5G

    Nearly 100,000 Starlink Users Petition FCC to Block Dish’s 12GHz 5G

    Starlink’s objections to Dish Network’s 5G plans have received a major boost, with nearly 100,000 users petitioning the FCC in support of Starlink.

    SpaceX sounded the alarm over Dish’s plans to use spectrum in the 12GHz band for its 5G rollout. Since SpaceX relies on that spectrum for the downlink from satellite to ground-based terminals, the company says Dish’s plans will result in outages 74% of the time for Starlink customers in the US. Those customers appear to be genuinely concerned, with 95,703 petitioning the FCC at the time of writing.

    SpaceX minced no words in its letter to the FCC, saying Dish and wireless firm RS Access were flawed and questioned whether the two companies intentionally misled the FCC with their findings.

    As such, SpaceX urges the Commission to investigate whether DISH and RS Access filed intentionally misleading reports. These reports simply cannot be squared with DISH’s own correct representations in December 2019 that “concurrent sharing of spectrum between co-primary 5G and NGSO FSS operations is not viable in the 12 GHz Band.

    SpaceX actively recruited its users to petition the FCC, even providing a couple of pre-written forms for users. These forms are why most of the petitions appear to start with one of two opening lines.

    Given how hard the FCC has been working to help close the “digital divide” in the US – the gap between the availability and quality of internet access in urban and rural areas – the agency is sure to take note of these petitions.

  • SpaceX Says Dish Network’s 5G Aspirations Could Render Starlink Internet ‘Unusable’

    SpaceX Says Dish Network’s 5G Aspirations Could Render Starlink Internet ‘Unusable’

    SpaceX has published an analysis raising alarms over Dish Network’s 5G network rollout, saying it will severely impact its own Starlink internet service.

    Starlink is the satellite internet service SpaceX has been deploying. Unlike previous services, Starlink is a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, giving it the ability to compete with traditional broadband, in terms of speed and latency. According to SpaceX, Dish Network’s 5G rollout threatens that service by using the same 12GHz band spectrum Starlink relies on, causing interference that will render “the band effectively unusable for satellite service to most Americans.”

    SpaceX uses the 12GHz band for the downlink between its satellites and ground-based terminals. The company says that Dish’s use of the spectrum will result in interference at least 77% of the time, resulting in outages 74% of the time.

    In addition to its analysis, the company sent a letter to the FCC, in which it blasted Dish, along with wireless firm RS Access:

    Upon even a cursory review of DISH’s and RS Access’s supposed “studies” relating to how much harm a new high-power mobile service would do to next-generation satellite broadband services in the 12 GHz band, it is clear that no reasonable engineer could believe they represent an honest interference analysis.

    SpaceX even went so far as to insinuate that Dish and RS Access may have intentionally misled the FCC with their statements:

    As such, SpaceX urges the Commission to investigate whether DISH and RS Access filed intentionally misleading reports. These reports simply cannot be squared with DISH’s own correct representations in December 2019 that “concurrent sharing of spectrum between co-primary 5G and NGSO FSS operations is not viable in the 12 GHz Band.”

    It remains to be seen which company’s data and analysis are correct. However, given what’s at stake for Dish and SpaceX, not to mention the allegations SpaceX raises, it’s a safe bet this saga is far from over.

  • Dish Network Meets FCC Deadline For Its 5G Rollout to 120 Cities

    Dish Network Meets FCC Deadline For Its 5G Rollout to 120 Cities

    Dish Network managed to meet the FCC deadline requiring it to expand its 5G service to 120 cities by June 14, 2022.

    Dish Network played a pivotal role in the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, as regulators wanted a fourth nationwide carrier to provide competition and ensure the US wireless industry didn’t consolidate around just three carriers. T-Mobile and Sprint were required to offload spectrum and assets to Dish Network in an effort to help it get up and running as a competitive option.

    One of the requirements, however, was for Dish to cover at least 20% of the US population by June 14. According to the company, it has now achieved nationwide status, covering 120 cities as of June 14.

    Stephen Stokols, CEO of Dish’s Boost Mobile, tweeted the news:

    Access to the most advanced 5G network in the world officially live in over 120 cities today: Genesis5G.com

    Dish has not explicitly said the 120 cities represent 20% of the population, but given how much the company is touting that milestone, it’s a safe bet those cities cross the milestone or are very close. In the meantime, the FCC told CNET it was closely monitoring the situation.

    “Consumers benefit when there is more competition in our wireless industry,” an FCC spokesperson said via email. “We are closely monitoring DISH’s 5G build out to ensure that they are meeting all of their requirements in the law.”

  • Dish Bleeding Phone & TV Customers, Promises Major 5G Expansion

    Dish Bleeding Phone & TV Customers, Promises Major 5G Expansion

    Dish Network’s 5G ambitions are off to an ignominious start, with the company losing hundreds of thousands of phone customers, while still promising a major 5G expansion.

    Dish is working to rollout a 5G network as the fourth nationwide carrier in the US. Unfortunately for Dish, rolling out a 5G network is not an easy proposition, and the company has lost 343,000 net wireless subscribers in the first quarter of 2022. This is up from 161,000 subscribers in the year-ago quarter.

    The news wasn’t much better for its satellite TV service, with the company losing 462,000 subscribers, compared to 230,000 in the year-ago quarter.

    Despite the bad news, according to CNET, Dish has promised its 5G network will cover one-fifth of the US by the middle of June 2022, despite only covering a single city at the time of writing.

    Dish gained a large amount of spectrum and resources as a byproduct of T-Mobile’s acquisition of Sprint. Both companies were forced to divest themselves of various assets in order to win regulatory approval. In particular, regulators were concerned about the industry consolidating from four to three nationwide wireless carriers. The goal was to help Dish replace Sprint as the fourth.

    Only time will tell if Dish is able to successfully fill that role.

  • 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.

  • DirecTV Prices Going Up in January

    DirecTV Prices Going Up in January

    DirecTV is raising its streaming and satellite TV packages starting in January.

    DirecTV was spun off from AT&T in August, and now competes with the likes YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, and fuboTV streaming services, while still competing with Dish Network for the satellite market. Unfortunately for DirecTV customers, the company is planning on raising prices across both of its services in January.

    According to The Verge, satellite TV customers will see their plans go up anywhere from $1 to $10. Meanwhile, streaming TV customers will see increases ranging from $4 to $10.

    Many providers often give up channels rather than increase prices. YouTube TV recently announced it would drop its price by $15 if it loses Disney-owned channels. In contrast, DirecTV said in a statement seen by The Verge that its prices were increasing because it is committed to offering the most robust packages. 

    “While competitors continue to shrink their offerings, your DirecTV team maintains a steadfast commitment to carrying the most robust channel line-up in the industry and unrivalled [sic] leadership in premium sports and news content,” the company wrote. “In addition, we continue to invest in providing better customer service, releasing new technology upgrades that will enhance our signal reliability, and launching improved features. We are also delivering greater flexibility to watch what you want, when you want it, from virtually anywhere in the U.S.”

  • Dish’s Boost Mobile Announces Its Own 5G Device

    Dish’s Boost Mobile Announces Its Own 5G Device

    Dish Network’s Boost Mobile has announced the Celero5G, its own 5G device aimed at helping customers maximize their experience.

    Dish Network acquired Boost Mobile as part of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, when the latter companies were required to divest some of their assets in order to win regulatory approval. Dish has been working on rolling out its own 5G network, while it continues to piggyback on T-Mobile and AT&T’s network in the meantime.

    The company is now offering its own 5G-enabled phone, the Celero5G. The phone has a 6.52-inch screen, 36 hours of battery life, four cameras, 4GB of RAM, 64GB ROM and SD card support for up to 2TB of additional storage.

    “Our goal at Boost is to empower our customers with what they need, when they need it,” said Stephen Stokols, head of Boost Mobile. “Subscribers have told us loud and clear: they want speed, cool features, and a fair price. The Celero5G is built to make 5G affordable.”

  • Dish Taps 10x People to Manage Its 5G Phone Number Inventory

    Dish Taps 10x People to Manage Its 5G Phone Number Inventory

    Dish Network has selected 10x People, LLC to manage its 5G phone number inventory as the company builds out its 5G network.

    Dish has been steadily working to deploy its 5G network, with a beta available at the end of September. The company is looking to become the fourth nationwide carrier, replacing Sprint after it was bought out by T-Mobile. The move is important for the company, providing it a way to diversify beyond its satellite TV business, especially as more consumers turn to TV streaming options.

    As part of the process, Dish must have a way to manage its inventory of phone numbers, and is tapping 10x People to provide the solution.

    “As we continue to build our innovative 5G network, 10x People will play a central role in our number management process as we track, monitor and report this important part of our inventory,” said Atilla Tinic, chief information officer, DISH. “10x People’s cloud-native solution will seamlessly integrate with our other OSS/BSS systems, extend our TN management capabilities as we roll out new areas of service, and serve as an innovative platform for the ongoing evolution of our subscriber identity management.”

    “10x People is committed to helping connect end users to DISH’s fully-virtualized, first-of-its-kind network through telephone number solutions,” said Lisa Marie Maxson, CEO, 10x People. “Being selected as a TN management supplier by a technology innovator like DISH is an honor and speaks to our position as a leader in scalable numbering solutions for 5G networks.”

  • Dish’s 5G Network Will Be Available in Beta End of September

    Dish’s 5G Network Will Be Available in Beta End of September

    Dish Network has announced its upcoming 5G network will be available in beta at the end of September.

    Dish has been working to build out its 5G network, intent on becoming the fourth major carrier in the US. The company received a major boost as a result of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, when regulators forced the two wireless carriers to divest themselves of some assets to help Dish break into the market. Regulators were concerned about the impact on consumers from the market consolidating to three carriers instead of four.

    After much anticipation, The Verge is reporting that Dish’s 5G service is now preparing to enter beta, with it available by the end of September. The company has previously committed to covering 70% of the US population by June 2023, so it certainly seems Dish plans to hit the ground running.

  • Dish Moving From T-Mobile to AT&T for Network Coverage

    Dish Moving From T-Mobile to AT&T for Network Coverage

    Dish Network has reach an agreement for AT&T to provide network coverage to its customers for the next ten years, at the cost of $5 billion.

    Dish Network played a pivotal role in the T-Mobile/Sprint merger. Regulators were concerned about going from four to three major wireless carriers, and wanted Dish to move into the role of fourth. To assist it, regulators worked out a deal whereby T-Mobile would provide network coverage and resources to Dish’s customers.

    It appears Dish is looking to make its own deals, with it pursuing a $5 billion 10-year deal with AT&T, according to an SEC filing. According to The Wall Street Journal, it’s estimated T-Mobile was receiving $1.5 to $2 billion a year, so the price tag for AT&T’s service could be substantially cheaper.

    In addition, Dish has accused T-Mobile of unfairly planning on shutting down its 3G network the beginning of 2022, potentially leaving many of Dish’s customers without service. While AT&T also plans on shutting down its 3G network in early 2022, it’s possible the acrimony with T-Mobile over its 3G plans may have reached the point that Dish simply didn’t want to continue working with the Magenta carrier. Add in a potentially large financial savings, and Dish may have viewed the AT&T deal as too good to pass up.

    Regulators will undoubtably be interested in reviewing the deal, especially since they worked so hard to establish the one Dish wants out of.

  • Dish Network Launches Site to Notify You When 5G is Available

    Dish Network Launches Site to Notify You When 5G is Available

    Dish Network is gearing up to launch its 5G network, launching a website to inform users when it’s available.

    Dish Network is preparing to be the fourth nationwide carrier, thanks in large part to the T-Mobile buyout of Sprint. While Sprint was in dire shape financially, regulators weren’t entirely onboard with letting T-Mobile buy it unless another company could replace it as a fourth nationwide option. T-Mobile and Sprint were required to offload some of their assets to help Dish get established.

    Over the last year, Dish has been aggressively working to deploy its new network, striking deals with equipment and software makers. The company has now set up a new website, giving users the ability to be notified when the new network is available.

    It remains to be seen if Dish Network will succeed in being a viable, standalone 5G carrier. Those interested in seeing what they have to offer, when it’s available, should head on over to the site and sign up.

  • 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 Network Acquiring Republic Wireless

    Dish Network Acquiring Republic Wireless

    Dish Network has announced a deal to acquire Republic Wireless as the company moves to become the nation’s fourth wireless carrier.

    Dish has been moving into the wireless space for some time. It received a big boost from the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, as regulators were concerned about the industry consolidating around just three companies. As a result, T-Mobile was required to sell off some prepaid assets and grant Dish a least to piggyback off of its spectrum for a period of time.

    Since the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, Dish has been moving ahead at full speed, signing deals and building its network. The latest is a deal to purchase Republic Wireless, which would bring 200,000 customers to the new carrier.

    “Republic has created a loyal following and established a brand known for innovation, customer service and value. We plan to build upon that strong foundation,” said John Swieringa, group president, Retail Wireless and DISH COO. “As we continue to grow our retail wireless business, Republic broadens our existing customer base and positions us to deliver even more value to the market, expanding our portfolio of mobile solutions to meet a variety of customer needs. We look forward to welcoming Republic customers to the DISH family.”

    The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approval. Republic’s Relay division, which provides communication solutions to frontline teams, will continue as a standalone company and be a wholesale customer for Dish’s 5G network.