The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has extended a number of wireless licences held by DISH Network, also modifying certain 5G rollout obligations attached to the concessions. The watchdog’s decision relates to licences held by a number of DISH holding companies, namely: American H Block Wireless, DBSD Corporation, Gamma Acquisition, Manifest Wireless and ParkerB.com Wireless.
For each of DISH’s AWS-4, Lower 700 E Block, and AWS H Block licences, the licence term has been modified to 14 June 2023; DISH is obligated to provide 5G access to at least 70% of the population in each Economic Area (EA) by this date. Meanwhile, for each of DISH’s 600MHz licences, the licence term is unchanged (i.e. 14 June 2029), but the interim buildout deadline (14 June 2023) has been removed. Instead, the final buildout deadline has been accelerated to 14 June 2025; DISH must offer 5G access to at least 75% of the population in each Partial Economic Area (PEA) by this date.
As per FCC documentation, DISH is currently in possession of the following concessions: American H Block Wireless (176 AWS H block licences in the 1915MHz-1920MHz/1995MHz-2000MHz band); DBSD Corporation (176 AWS-4 licences in the 2010MHz-2020MHz/2190MHz-2200MHz band); Gamma Acquisition (176 AWS-4 licences in the 2000MHz-2010MHz/2180MHz-2190MHz band); Manifest Wireless (168 licences in the Lower 700MHz E block band); and ParkerB.com Wireless (486 licences in the 600MHz band).