Dish Network's wireless business could create 10,000 jobs in Colorado
POSTED: 08/15/2012 06:56:22 PM MDT
UPDATED: 08/15/2012 07:07:32 PM MDTBy Andy Vuong
The Denver Post
Dish chief Charlie Ergen announces the relocation of video rental subsidiary Blockbuster to Colorado from Texas on Wednesday. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen conceded Wednesday that the satellite-TV provider will likely need to partner with an existing wireless carrier on its planned mobile broadband network.
Delays in receiving a waiver from the Federal Communications Commission have all but eliminated the option for the company to proceed with the multibillion project alone, he said.
The Douglas County-based company had hoped to receive a decision from the FCC by the beginning of the year, but now doesn't expect a ruling for another few months. In the meantime, potential competitors like Verizon Wireless are building or expanding their Long Term Evolution, or LTE, mobile broadband networks.
"The market continues to move ahead without us," Ergen said in an interview from Dish's headquarters. "We felt that we'd have an advantage entering with the new LTE technology. That advantage is becoming less by the day because our competitors are starting to deploy the new technology now, and may be even more deployed than we can be since they have a head start."
Dish's wireless spectrum includes a requirement that all handsets using the airwaves have the ability to link up with a satellite, a condition that would make it cost-prohibitive for the company to enter the wireless business on a national scale. Rather than grant Dish a waiver, the FCC decided this year to initiate a lengthier rulemaking process.
"The net effect of the delay is that it has become more increasingly unlikely that we would be able to build a network from scratch ourselves," Ergen said. "I think we had all our options open if we had gotten it done by the first of the year... We're still cautiously optimistic that we can enter the business and create a great product for consumers."
Dish's wireless business could generate more than 25,000 jobs nationwide, and at least 5,000 in the state, roughly the same ratio as the company's satellite-TV business.
"My preference would be to headquarter the business in Colorado," Ergen said. "You're probably talking about slightly more jobs here. You're certainly over 5,000, and maybe it could be 10,000."
Read more: Dish Network's wireless business could create 10,000 jobs in Colorado - The Denver Post Dish Network's wireless business could create 10,000 jobs in Colorado - The Denver Post
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There is more in this article and it also talks about Blockbuster....
POSTED: 08/15/2012 06:56:22 PM MDT
UPDATED: 08/15/2012 07:07:32 PM MDTBy Andy Vuong
The Denver Post
Dish chief Charlie Ergen announces the relocation of video rental subsidiary Blockbuster to Colorado from Texas on Wednesday. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen conceded Wednesday that the satellite-TV provider will likely need to partner with an existing wireless carrier on its planned mobile broadband network.
Delays in receiving a waiver from the Federal Communications Commission have all but eliminated the option for the company to proceed with the multibillion project alone, he said.
The Douglas County-based company had hoped to receive a decision from the FCC by the beginning of the year, but now doesn't expect a ruling for another few months. In the meantime, potential competitors like Verizon Wireless are building or expanding their Long Term Evolution, or LTE, mobile broadband networks.
"The market continues to move ahead without us," Ergen said in an interview from Dish's headquarters. "We felt that we'd have an advantage entering with the new LTE technology. That advantage is becoming less by the day because our competitors are starting to deploy the new technology now, and may be even more deployed than we can be since they have a head start."
Dish's wireless spectrum includes a requirement that all handsets using the airwaves have the ability to link up with a satellite, a condition that would make it cost-prohibitive for the company to enter the wireless business on a national scale. Rather than grant Dish a waiver, the FCC decided this year to initiate a lengthier rulemaking process.
"The net effect of the delay is that it has become more increasingly unlikely that we would be able to build a network from scratch ourselves," Ergen said. "I think we had all our options open if we had gotten it done by the first of the year... We're still cautiously optimistic that we can enter the business and create a great product for consumers."
Dish's wireless business could generate more than 25,000 jobs nationwide, and at least 5,000 in the state, roughly the same ratio as the company's satellite-TV business.
"My preference would be to headquarter the business in Colorado," Ergen said. "You're probably talking about slightly more jobs here. You're certainly over 5,000, and maybe it could be 10,000."
Read more: Dish Network's wireless business could create 10,000 jobs in Colorado - The Denver Post Dish Network's wireless business could create 10,000 jobs in Colorado - The Denver Post
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: Terms of Use - The Denver Post
There is more in this article and it also talks about Blockbuster....
