DirecTV & Echostar in talks

[slacker9876]

I heard this morning on my local news that DirecTV and Echostar in in talks about forming a joint WiMax high-speed network. Sure would help them out with bundle packages that cable has been offering. Nice to know the two could work together and anyway who has used it knows anything would be an improvement over the DirectWay services.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

We have been talking about these here for a few weeks now. They will use a ground based network using cell phone towers. From what I understand there will be a antenna which you will attach to your dish which will allow you to access the service.

 

[herdfan]

They will use a ground based network using cell phone towers.

Why would the cell phone companies allow them on the towers? Would this not compete with cell companies data offerings?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Check out todays Wall Street Journal, there is a big story on it on the front page. (If anyone has a link please post it)

Yes the cell phone companies are already crying foul.

 

[JosephB]

Cell phone companies don't own many of their towers, they're owned by a third party and space is leased by the cell phone companies. Most towers have equipment for more than one carrier on them anyway

 

[Kentstater72]

Many local government entities, planning commissions etc. make it a condition of approval that the towers are "shared" with competition to minimize the number in the community.

 

[aec4]

Cell phone companies don't own many of their towers, they're owned by a third party and space is leased by the cell phone companies. Most towers have equipment for more than one carrier on them anyway

Even the towers owned by cell phone companies are rented out to the other companies. Usually, the owner puts their stuff on top.

 

[mcbeevee]

Here is a short article dated 1/30/2006 titled DirecTV, EchoStar Bundle Up :

http://www.thestreet.com/tech/internet/10265051.html

 

[iceburg]

Any idea what kind of speed we're talking about with a proposed offering like this? I've been suffering with Direcway since I moved to the boonies two years ago and would sure love something that's faster and more reliable.

 

[cheebs]

WiMax is pretty cool, I have several CPE's ranging from 512 to 1 meg at different locations. Only downside is the upload speed, which is typically 25% of the DL speed.

So far, the service has been reliable enough, only experienced a couple of glitches when the provider's fiber was shot to bits LOL. Other than that, I love the portability of the indoor CPE's which work anywhere in the city. Instant connectivity rocks!

 

[Stargazer]

I cannot wait for this to become available. This will allow satellite to compete much much better with cable. This will also greatly help reduce churn. In addition this will make them more money (good for their stocks) and lead to other new services in the future. This is great for those that want mobile television as everything available at home would also be available on the road cheaply.

 

[JosephB]

I'm not worried about competing with cable, reducing churn, more money, blah blah blah. I'm not a shareholder. I'm just a guy who lives in the sticks and is stuck on dialup, that's all I'm worried about

 

[Stargazer]

I'd take their service in a heartbeat if it was cheap and reliable enough and so would many others out in the sticks such as myself. It would compliment their television service VERY well.

 

[Dog6869]

If Pigs could F L Y ! ! ! !

 

[Stargazer]

We can all dream can't we? Those in the stix will get it eventually whether it be D/E or somebody else. It is just a matter of time.

 

[MikeD-C05]

To bad Directv and Dish couldn't develope a third company to do just locals in both sd and hd . Then we could get the country done quicker and eliminate redundancy. When I posted this idea months ago everyone said no they can't do this because it would eliminate competition- that is why they prevented the merger. It looks like they can and will combine and work together to do broadband internet so I ask again; Why don't they work together to do all the locals now instead of waste all the bandwith to duplicate all those locals? IF Cable is the real competition then both sat companies should work together to provide that triple threat of video / internet/ phone service? IF they can't catch up an provide these and other cool services like true video on demand, then satellite will fall further and further behind the new invigorated digital cable services that do provide them.

 

[dragon002]

directv and dish will never merge.

 

[TheDishNetworkInstaller]

I don't think that was MikeD's idea. Think hes talking strategic alliance. Which if this BB comes about, is exactly what it will be. When it comes to DBS these two are in a class by themselves. They're going to have to work together to compete with cable tv period. Even if they can't merge or acquire each other its there only real defense from the Monopoly cable companies have in many areas and the cheapest way from the sounds of the technology to get broadband to the boonies.

 

[Stargazer]

I agree with MikeD-CO5 on this one. They would be better off developing a seperate company just for local channels (SD and HD) so that they could share the space to access those local channels. They would have a LOT of additional space if they could do this. Why couldn't they do this being two seperate companies as they are now? They would not have to merge in order to share the same satellites, just split the cost of the satellite cost. They could do the same with the basic channels too. Just because they share satellite space does not mean that they are merged. I suppose the competition would see that as a disadvantage to those that may want to compete with them as this would give them an unfair advantage.

Never say never about Dish and DirecTv merging.

 

[dragon002]

never.

and if god forbid it did, it wouldnt be ergen controlling what was left.