Dish CEO Shoots Down T-Mobile, Amazon Partnership Rumors Dish boss Charlie Ergen says the company doesn't need a partner to help build out a wireless network with the spectrum it's hoarding collecting. Analysts have been split on whether or not Dish will ever actually build a network. Some think Dish is bluffing, and just intends to cash out of its spectrum holdings once scarcity drives the price up. Others seem to think that Dish intends to buy T-Mobile to jump into the wireless sector. The most recent rumor du jour is that Dish will partner with Amazon and T-Mobile to help build out a network using Dish spectrum.

But Dish boss Charlie Ergen this week insisted the company doesn't need a partner. "Our focus today is to build out to meet the 2020 deadline with or without a partner," Ergen said on a conference call with analysts. "We’re prepared to do it within our balance sheet and again, it’s going to be a new, narrowband IP network that doesn’t exist today. Obviously, I hope there is the opportunity in the next three years for a lot of potential partnerships." FCC rules attached to Dish's 700 MHz E-Block licenses (acquired in 2008) state Dish must achieve either 40% signal coverage by last month month (that didn't happen), or institute a 70% buildout by March 2020. Recent Dish FCC filings claim the company intends to use the AWS-4 Band and Lower 700 MHz Block to build a network focused on 5G and connecting the "internet of (not so secure) things." Ergen is rumored to be notoriously difficult in negotiations, so Dish going it alone may not be simply a matter of efficiency. But Dish continues to express optimism that 5G standardization should be completed by 2020 with trials starting this year or next. Ergen is rumored to be notoriously difficult in negotiations, so Dish going it alone may not be simply a matter of efficiency. But Dish continues to express optimism that 5G standardization should be completed by 2020 with trials starting this year or next.







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Most recommended from 8 comments

ISurfTooMuch

join:2007-04-23

Tuscaloosa, AL 6 recommendations ISurfTooMuch Member Then build it, already! OK, so Dish feels they can go it alone? That's fine. In fact, I would prefer that, as we need more wireless players in the market. But talk is cheap. If they're going to do it, then they need to just build the damn thing. I'll believe them when I hear about antennae going onto towers. Until then, it's all just talk.