I agree that Ciel and dish are still in negotiations. However I also believe IMHO that dish is in Hush Hush negotiations with AT&T to buy DirecTV's licenses for transponders at 110 and 119 and this is the real reason for the delay in leasing 129 for a second installment and so close to the clock running out.
AT&T would have no problem, and in fact, would love to sell dish their transponders at 110 and 119 because from AT&T's view it would be like selling dish "magic beans." AT&T has made it clear from day one with continued public statements that they are getting out of the satellite business they want nothing to do with satellite they are going all-in for their streaming service DirecTVNow. AT&T has absolutely no use for the transponders at 110 and 119. First the only buyer for those transponders will be the only other satellite DBS service: dish. and if dish wants to spend money on what AT&T considers to be obsolete and very costly technology, then yeah they're fine with dish buying those transponders. most importantly to AT&T, they would at least be able to get some money for transponders they have absolutely no value to DirecTV nor use for them, but have tremendous value to Dish, even if it does provide more bandwidth for dish or allows them to save some money by not having to get a second lease for 129 because it doesn't matter to AT&T because they're going to go all streaming they want nothing to do with satellite.
"Hey Charlie you invest more and more money in your satellites and pay us money for what are useless transponders for us and hold no value to anyone but you dish, and that's fine with us," says AT&T, "because those transponders from our view give you absolutely no Advantage at all because you're still dealing with satellite while we're dumping that Tech and now making money selling that Tech to you while we are going all-in for streaming and have plenty of bandwidth with our own DTV Satellites with the all mpeg 4 transition. Yes we will sell to you dish for a fair price and we certainly rather get your money for our useless transponders then have Ciel get your money for their sat lease." From AT&T's perspective, dish are suckers if they spend their dish money on AT&T useless transponders.
IMHO, it's all up to Charlie. Either it's a good price to acquiring AT&T's licenses at 110 and 119 and no longer be dependent on leased sat at 129 (my theory is when 118 goes EOL, Dish will just offer all Internationals at Sling International streaming service). If it's not a good price he'll just re-up with Ciel who at the current moment have no other customer that will be paying them as much as dish for the entire capacity of Ciel 2 all the way to end of life, or perhaps dish leasing Ciel 2 for only a short period until transfer of licenses is approved.
Bottom line, IMHO, I think Dish is in current hush-hush negotiations with AT&T for its licenses at 110 and 119 and has waited this long so close to the clock running out before leasing for a second installment with Ceil at 129.
