DISH to Become National Facilities-based Wireless Carrier

[NYDutch]

Dish is getting the option of taking over any redundant Sprint/T-Mobile towers

I don't know if he got this from you, but Luke over at CordCuttersNews.com ran a story this afternoon about the Sling Wireless brand name.

Dish's New Wireless 5G Phone Service Could Be Called Sling Wireless - Cord Cutters News

I could see the company standardizing on the Sling brand, going so far as to rename the satellite TV service to Sling too. But they'd only do that if they took a page from AT&T's book -- I predict that AT&T is going to take the Plus and Max packages that they've begun building out for DirecTV Now and finish them out (and also add a Select or Starter low-end bundle) and make that the unified channel bundle system for both the new AT&T TV streaming service as well as the legacy DirecTV satellite service. I could imagine DISH revising the channel bundles on Sling a bit -- including the major locals from ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW, and PBS (whether as add-ons or integrated into the base packages) -- and then using those revised packages on the satellite TV system too, with the whole thing renamed to Sling. You could get Sling via streaming or via satellite. If you got it via streaming, it might be via Sling Wireless 5G Home service, or on your phone via Sling Wireless.

I first saw it mentioned on a headline alert on Google News, and it may well have come from CordCutters...

 

[navychop]

No one, absolutely no one, has said Boost would be the backbone of any Dish cell service.

I stand by my expectation that IoT, as Dish has said, is their main target b


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[TheKrell]

I could see the company standardizing on the Sling brand, going so far as to rename the satellite TV service to Sling too.

I fear you are right, but what a God-awful name that is. Where have we ever heard the word except in slinging something nasty?

Dish is better. Blockbuster is better still, and yet they buried that name, so what do I know?

 

[NYDutch]

As part of the agreement, Dish gets a seven year agreement allowing it to sell T-Mobile wireless service under the Dish brand. The deal also includes a three year service agreement from T-Mobile to provide operational support as prepaid customers shift to Dish and with Verizon pushing early retirements, there are lots of talented people with 20+ years of wireless experience available.

And then there's this:
On his Q2 earnings call with investors, John Legere said, “I’m not usually the one to be positive on others’ capabilities. It’s very clear that with the spectrum Dish has, with the acquisition of Boost, with the MVNO arrangements, with the transition services agreement while they build out their network, with the ability to get some of the decommissioned towers and stores, Dish has a real, significant opportunity to be a credible, disruptive fourth wireless carrier. I do see them having all the tools in the tool kit, including the motivation as the company and Charlie himself to become a disruptive player.”

 

[navychop]

Resurrecting the Blockbuster name may be a good idea.


Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys App. For now.

 

[NYDutch]

I fear you are right, but what a God-awful name that is. Where have we ever heard the word except in slinging something nasty?

How about "slinging hash"? I've had some really, really good hash...

 

[ChadT41]

I had some really really good bash last night. Will tonight, too.

 

[HipKat]

No one, absolutely no one, has said Boost would be the backbone of any Dish cell service.

I stand by my expectation that IoT, as Dish has said, is their main target b


Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys App. For now.

Speaking of IoT, there's a new device coming out called the Hopper Link, which can be installed similar to the old OTA Add-On on the Dish and will connect to IoT, proving Internet connectivity to the Hopper for STBH purposes.

There are very specific install requirements for the Hopper Link so the details below must be followed carefully.

It is also very important to understand that this device is NOT an internet connection to a Hopper. In other words, the customer will not be able to stream content using Netflix, pandora or on demand using this device. The device simply provides a basic connection between the customer satellite receiver and our NBIoT network. The main customer benefit is that it allows the purchase of PPV content without having to call a call center agent, use a computer or other device to place their order. This would include file based video on demand content that resides on the receiver hard drive (FVOD)

 

[ncted]

Is this a hint about what Dish will name their new wireless service? They registered the slingwireless.com domain a couple of years ago...

View attachment 139818

Kind of disappointing that Dish uses Godaddy.com for their domain name registration. No offense to Scott (or anyone else), but they don't have the best record when it comes to domain security.

 

[osumike]

When Dish starts building their own towers and using some of the spectrum they spent billions to acquire, then I’ll believe it.


Like I said, build the towers and the network from the ground up and we shall see. But so far Dish has not invested in anything except for fake 5G test sites in an attempt to save their licenses from expiring.

Dish has already built, and is continuing to build, several cell towers. I believe the plan is build around 1300. I don't know how many have been completed at this point, but I'll see if I can find out.
I understand you have your issues with Dish, but what you're saying just isn't true.

 

[mdram]

Dish has already built, and is continuing to build, several cell towers. I believe the plan is build around 1300. I don't know how many have been completed at this point, but I'll see if I can find out.
I understand you have your issues with Dish, but what you're saying just isn't true.

dish has had years to build those towers, or rent space, but they waited
charlie never wanted a cell network, he was banking on selling/leasing the spectrum, imho

hes just doing what he has to to save the money he has already invested

 

[osumike]

dish has had years to build those towers, or rent space, but they waited
charlie never wanted a cell network, he was banking on selling/leasing the spectrum, imho

hes just doing what he has to to save the money he has already invested

Maybe. But the point, is that Dish is physically building out cell sites as we speak.

 

[mdram]

Maybe. But the point, is that Dish is physically building out cell sites as we speak.

because the fcc was on them to do it or forfeit the bandwidth

 

[navychop]

People seem to want to conveniently forget what Charlie has actually SAID. He said he intended to be 5G from day one opening the system. And he said he plans to concentrate on IoT.

5G has taken longer than expected. The final standard has not been published. They’re STILL fiddling with it. Good reason for the government to grant an extension, based on their track record. Hardware that will (probably) be compatible with the “final” standard has only begun to arrive in the last few months.

Love him or hate him, he is doing exactly what he said he planned to do. The big money ain’t in voice.

I recommend reading the Wikipedia article on “5G.”


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[NYDutch]

Dish has already built, and is continuing to build, several cell towers. I believe the plan is build around 1300. I don't know how many have been completed at this point, but I'll see if I can find out.
I understand you have your issues with Dish, but what you're saying just isn't true.

Dish will also be gaining the redundant Sprint/T-Mobile towers. Another factor is the major carriers generally don't own a large percentage of the towers they use, rather they lease space on existing towers and other existing facilities like water towers, church steeples, etc. Dish has all of those options available as well...

 

[osumike]

 

[HipKat]

Dish has already built, and is continuing to build, several cell towers. I believe the plan is build around 1300. I don't know how many have been completed at this point, but I'll see if I can find out.
I understand you have your issues with Dish, but what you're saying just isn't true.

Phase One was 450, 150' Towers. Someone on the Tech Portal posted that with this merger, Dish will have access to 3400+ Towers total

 

[mdram]

one down 10000 to go

 

[ncted]

dish has had years to build those towers, or rent space, but they waited
charlie never wanted a cell network, he was banking on selling/leasing the spectrum, imho

hes just doing what he has to to save the money he has already invested

Anything is possible, but I think what Charlie really wanted was to buy Sprint (or T-Mobile). He certainly tried to buy Sprint. When that didn't happen, he had to start building a network. Starting a network from scratch, in the most economical way possible, is no small feat, so it took a while to figure out what to do, how to do it, and in a way that that made sense today. When this Boost/etc. opportunity came along, Charlie saw the opportunity to get much of what he wanted when he was trying to get Sprint, and he used the desperation of T-Mobile to get a good deal in the process. As Elon Musk has shown us, making false or misleading statements about planned investments by a public company can get you in big trouble. Charlie might misdirect from time to time, but I don't see him outright lying about wireless ambitions for Dish.

 

[HipKat]

I don't understand the dissenters. What is happening here and what the potential is, is game changing.

Imagine, all those rural areas that have had to suffer with slow, or expensive data capped Satellite or no internet at all, now having access to 5G - up to 6 Gb/s d/l speeds, with embedded video and cell service.
Imagine, no more bulky, damaging, unsightly dishes on roofs.
Imagine, no more Line Of Sight Issues.
Imagine no more rain fade.
Imagine an IoT Network that ties home connectivity into a single entity.
Imagine all those people like me, who stay in the city because of a need for high speed internet, moving out to the country, bringing our spending power with us to smaller, struggling towns.
Imagine Dish using existing infrastructure and builds out their own towers in areas that presently lack reliable cell service.

This is what I see and makes me damn glad I represent a company that's moving into the future. Investing in new technologies. Having the foresight to see where the future is taking us and being a part of it, not depending on the same old products like other providers do.