Dish expects to launch its 5G network this year

Dish Network is doubling in its intention to launch your 5G network in big cities in september, The Verge reports. From Prato acquired Boost Mobile last year, this puts the company in a unique position to compete with existing mobile operators, and Ergen said during the company’s earnings call today that Dish can “help the United States start to lead wireless again.” Whatever that means.

As part of the T-Mobile / Sprint merger, the Federal Communications Commission T-Mobile is required to sell some of its holdings, including Boost Mobile. (Virgin Mobile customers were transferred to the Boost Mobile network before the merger, as it was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sprint at the time.) Dish is also allowed to use the T-Mobile network for the next seven years, as it builds its own wireless network. Basically, Dish’s goal seems to be to make Boost Mobile the fourth largest wireless operator in the US and provide 5G service, going beyond the prepaid plans it currently offers. FORIggy’s support on the T-Mobile network looks like it will help Dish compete fairly in the market.

But Dish too has been buying constantly wireless spectrum in recent years, starting in 2013. It has low, medium and highband spectrum, which is ideal for offering customers a fast and reliable 5G service, but is also awaiting the results of the auction for the coveted spectrum of band C. They will not be available until the beginning of next month.

The C band spectrum is like the “Holy Grail” of the wireless broadband spectrum. It is a massive spectrum of 280 MHz, covering almost 5,700 mid-band licenses between 3.7 GHz and 3.98 GHz. There is not much traffic on these waves and, as there has been for a long time, all 5G wireless operators are fighting for space for air waves. .

As the smallest carrier, Dish is estimated to have bid about $ 2 billion to get as many C band pieces as you can, according for Raymond James analysts, while the other major operators that have already established their 5G networks could have bid between $ 11 and $ 30 billion. The dish will definitely not be the size of T-Mobile or Verizon anytime soon, but more competition never hurts.