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Dish Still Looking For LTE Network Partner
'Not Suicidal,' May Sell Spectrum if Options Falter

Dish continues to hint they need more spectrum if they're to seriously enter the wireless sector and compete with the likes of AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Speaking at the PCIA wireless infrastructure conference, Dish boss Charlie Ergen stated the company needs more 40 MHz of 2 GHz S-band spectrum to compete, and reiterated that the company will likely have to partner with somebody else to make their wireless ambitions a reality.

On the flip side Ergen also noted that the company might have to sell their spectrum if their ambitions don't work out and they can't get FCC to approve a requested waiver for spectrum conditions:
quote:
However, Ergen cautioned that the wireless bet is not a sure thing. "We may end having to sell the spectrum," he said. "We're not suicidal." He said Dish's preference is not to sell its spectrum but to build out a network that can take advantage of burgeoning wireless data growth. "This is going to be a tough project for us," he said. "But it's not our first rodeo."
Back in March the FCC delayed a waiver decision that would allow Dish to ignore some of the satellite phone requirements placed on the spectrum they plan to use. That's not a huge deal, since the LTE Advanced equipment for its S-band spectrum they plan to use likely won't even be available until 2015. Both investors and analysts have spent much of the year wondering if Dish's entire LTE plan is a bluff designed to inflate Ergen's spectrum holdings before a sale.
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chris92
join:2008-09-20
Coal Valley, IL

chris92

Member

How about Clearwire?

Clearwire's got some good TDD-LTE spectrum.
brianiscool
join:2000-08-16
Tampa, FL

brianiscool

Member

Buy Leapwireless!

I need my stock to increase so I can sell.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory

Member

Partner with...

T-Mobile & Metro PCS.

I have no idea about the frequencies involved, but gathering that much spectrum together to compete with at&t & Vz would be nice.

The Beer
I Love It When A Plan Comes Together
Premium Member
join:2001-07-24
Lincoln, NE

The Beer

Premium Member

Re: US CELLULAR!!!

g
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch

Member

Too many bands

This may be a bit offtopic, but the bands being put into use for wireless strike me as a jumbled mess. First we had 850, and then we got 1900. That was fine, since many phones supported both. Then, more phones added 900 and 1800 so they'd be usable on overseas networks. So far, so good. Then many countries launched 3G on 2100, so some phones even added that. Then, the AWS band at 1700/2100 was auctioned. Next came 700, and I really have no idea what band Dish has. Not to mention Clearwire, which I believe uses 2600. And if you consider that none of the phones doing LTE on 700 are compatible with any 700 band other than the specific one that their carrier uses, then you essentially have several different bands operating in that frequency range.

Is there any consideration at all at the FCC as to the giant mess this is creating? As bad as phone compatibility issues were between GSM, CDMA, and TDMA, you could at least have a reasonable shot of buying a device that could (in theory) work on any carrier that used the same technology, assuming that it was unlocked (GSM) or could be reprogrammed (CDMA/TDMA). As it stands now, that's pretty much gone out the window. It'd be like having to buy a different radio for each station you want to listen to.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory

Member

Re: Too many bands

I agree. I also wonder why you couldn't put a tuner in these phones that work at most bands, somewhat like a radio tuner where one may pick up a large range of frequencies. That seems to be the smarter way to go. Of course I have no idea how the radio stuff works, so I may be saying something stupid.
sava700
join:2005-03-08
united state

sava700

Member

Dish and phone

They are just wanting that wireless network to hook up their receivers to. They are passing out to techs these wireless dongles that can allow you to even use next door neighbors unlocked wireless to use with the receiver so they would rather have their own set up in the boxes already. The more IP they get to the receivers the more they like it to sell more downloaded content thru their services which are way over priced anyway.