The Sprint, Dish, Clearwire, and SoftBank acquisition saga may be close to over. Dish has withdrawn its offer to purchase Clearwire, according to a press release pushed across the wire this afternoon. The satellite television company last bid $4.40 per share, but Sprint's latest offer of $5 per share — enough to earn the backing of Clearwire's board — has apparently convinced Dish to give up on this particular opportunity. Sprint, meanwhile, is in the middle of being acquired by Japan's SoftBank after Dish's own discussions to purchase the Kansas-based carrier fell through earlier this month.

It's unclear if today's news marks an end of Dish's wireless ambitions, or if the company will merely look for another acquisition to move it into the mobile space. It's rumored that Dish had discussions with T-Mobile in the past regarding a takeover, and Dish CEO Charlie Ergen has been steadfast in his belief that wireless is the way for the company to grow in the future.