WASHINGTON—Several labor unions and public interest groups have filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission urging the regulator to deny the Nexstar-Tegna merger because it would violate station ownership caps and would not be in the public interest.

“Though Nexstar and Tegna seek a waiver of this limit, the commission is prohibited by law from waiving, altering, or eliminating this National Cap,” the petitioners wrote, adding that as the FCC “is legally barred from granting applicants’ request to waive the National Multiple Ownership rule, the Commission should immediately deny those waiver requests and deny the application in full."

The petition to deny the transfer of broadcast licenses from Tegna to Nexstar was filed by Free Press, the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians—Communications Workers of America (NABET-CWA), The NewsGuild—Communications Workers of America (TNG-CWA), the United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry and Public Knowledge.

The Dec. 31 joint filing adds to a growing list of opponents to the deal. Others who have filed petitions opposing it now include EchoStar, Newsmax, Circle City Broadcasting, DirecTV and the American TV Alliance (ATVA).

Last November, Nexstar filed for FCC approval to acquire Tegna’s broadcast licenses. If approved, the multibillion-dollar deal would combine the nation’s first- and fourth-largest largest television-station groups. It would have 265 full-power television stations in 44 states and Washington, D.C.

The Nexstar filing argued that the deal “is absolutely critical to preserve the ability of the local television stations owned by Nexstar and Tegna to continue as viable, reliable sources of trusted, locally focused news and information.”

In its filing, EchoStar argued that the FCC does not have the authority to waive the 39% ownership cap and that the creation of a gigantic station group controlling “265 stations in 132, or 80%, of the country’s 210 Designated Market Areas…sharply contravenes [public]...interest. It would result in higher prices for multichannel video programming distributors and therefore for consumers.”

Circle City 's filing noted: “CCB is licensee of full-power television stations WISH-TV and WNDY-TV, both in the Indianapolis market, and is the applicant in a pending application for consent to acquire the license of television station WRTV, also in the Indianapolis market. CCB’s interests and those of viewers in the market, as well as the interests of advertisers and MVPDs, would be adversely affected by the grant of these applications.”

Circle City also stressed that the deal would not be in the public interest because it hurt other local outlets and reduce local news. “The proposed combination would give Nexstar a near-monopoly over local television advertising revenue, retransmission consent revenue, program acquisition, and local news production in the Indianapolis market,” the CCB filing concluded. “It would, in all likelihood, force CCB to reduce or eliminate its own local news operations, if not shut down entirely.”

Faced with an FCC investigation into its spectrum licenses and large debts that could have pushed it into bankruptcy, EchoStar has agreed to sell the company's 3.45 GHz and 600 MHz spectrum licenses (a total of 50 MHz of nationwide spectrum) to AT&T for about $23 billion.

The deal will allow Echostar to pay down debt, refocus its operations and help resolve the current FCC investigation that had raised fears it might file for bankruptcy.

"I'm enormously proud of the EchoStar team for deploying the world's first Open RAN network in record time, despite industry skepticism and in the face of the many challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Charlie Ergen, co-founder and chairman, EchoStar. "EchoStar and Boost Mobile have met all of the FCC's network buildout milestones. However, this spectrum sale to AT&T and hybrid MNO agreement are critical steps toward resolving the FCC's spectrum utilization concerns."

The deal has major implications for the wireless business, where it will strengthen AT&T’s position in the 5G and home internet business. But the deal is likely to also have an impact on cable operators and broadband providers.

The $23 billion acquisition will add an average of approximately 50 MHz of low-band and mid-band spectrum to AT&T’s holdings – covering virtually every market across the U.S. That will improve the company’s ability to add converged subscribers with both 5G wireless and home internet services in more places.

The agreement ends EchoStar’s dreams of becoming a major wireless, 5G provider but the deal allows EchoStar participation in wireless industry through long-term wholesale network services agreement with AT&T for its Boost Mobile’s service.

Through Boost Mobile's hybrid MNO infrastructure, subscribers will continue to receive service from Boost Mobile's cloud-native 5G core connected to AT&T's nationwide network, EchoStar said.

While primary connectivity will be provided by AT&T's towers, Boost Mobile subscribers will continue to have access to the T-Mobile network. Customers will experience no interruptions to service. As a result of this transaction, elements of Boost Mobile's radio access network (RAN) will be decommissioned over time, EchoStar reported.

"This transaction puts our business on a solid financial path, further facilitating EchoStar's long-term success, and enhancing our ability to innovate and compete as a hybrid network operator. The proceeds of this transaction will be used for, among other things, retiring certain debt obligations and funding EchoStar's continued operations and growth initiatives," said Hamid Akhavan, CEO and president, EchoStar. "We continue to evaluate strategic opportunities for our remaining spectrum portfolio in partnership with the U.S. government and wireless industry participants."

The agreement also has important implications for major cable operators and broadband providers. By strengthening AT&T’s ability to provide both 5G and home internet services it will create increased competition for their broadband and wireless services, which have become the backbone of their operations amid an ongoing decline in pay TV subs.

The deal also weakens their position for negotiating MVNO deals for spectrum for their own wireless services as reduces the main wireless players to three—T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon.

If the deal passes regulatory muster, Echostar will also retain a smaller, but significant package of spectrum that it would sell to other companies like Verizon or Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Musk has been trying to get the FCC take away some of those EchoStar licenses.

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission is moving to investigate certain 5G and satellite spectrum held by EchoStar and its satellite-TV subsidiary, Dish.

The move is a potentially serious blow to EchoStar’s plans to reinvent itself as a wireless company as its pay TV operations continue to lose subscribers. News of the investigation pushed EchoStar’s stock down in Tuesday trading.

As part of the effort, the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau issued a public notice seeking additional comment on a petition for reconsideration of the FCC’s decision last year to grant EchoStar an extension of the construction deadlines for certain of its licenses as part of its 5G network buildout.

In addition, the Space Bureau established SB Docket No. 25-173 to seek comment on EchoStar’s use of the 2,000-2,020 MHz (Earth-to-space) and 2,180-2,200 MHz (space-to-Earth) (2 GHz bands) for mobile-satellite service (MSS).

EchoStar pushed back with a statement from Chairman Charlie Ergen saying, “Today, we are proud to have invested tens of billions to deploy the world’s largest 5G Open RAN network—primarily using American vendors—across 24,000 5G sites, to offer broadband service to over 268 million people nationwide.”

The moves by the FCC to reconsider EchoStar’s 5G and satellite spectrum came after The Wall Street Journal reported that FCC chair Brendan Carr sent a letter to Ergen saying “I have asked the FCC’s staff to take several steps regarding spectrum licenses that your companies hold.”

“I have directed agency staff to begin a review of EchoStar’s compliance with its federal obligations to provide 5G service throughout the United States per the terms of its federal spectrum licenses,” Carr wrote to Ergen.

In the letter Carr, accused EchoStar of not complying with its obligations to build out its 5G network to at least 70% of the population in its licensed geographical areas by June 14, 2025. Instead, Carr contended: “EchoStar negotiated behind closed doors during the previous Administration in September 2024. Under the terms of that bureau-level decision, EchoStar would no longer have to meet the June 2025 buildout obligations—meaning, its commitment to provide 5G to a broad swath of America. Nor would EchoStar have to face the agreed-upon consequences for failing to do so. Instead, EchoStar would generally kick the can down the road while agreeing to buildout milestones for some major-market licenses by December 2024, along with other commitments.”

In the letter, Carr also detailed some examples of how EchoStar had failed to meet its obligations in building out its network.

Carr has been previously vocal about his desire to expand 5G spectrum and his dissatisfaction with how EchoStar has used its spectrum during a recent interview at the Milken Institute.

EchoStar has also come under fire from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which filed a letter with the FCC saying: “Despite years of false promises and dubious technical showings, new data confirms what most people already suspected—Dish Network barely uses the AWS-4 band, if it is used at all, to provide 5G or any other service to American consumers. After extensive consumer complaints about the difficulties of signing up for Dish’s mobile service, recent spectrum analysis now explains why: Dish barely uses the spectrum. While Dish has already written off the satellites that justified its licenses in the first place, new measurements show that Dish uses less than 5% of what would be expected from an actual wireless network operator. This data is the starkest example yet of why the Commission must swiftly recognize that Dish has left this valuable midband spectrum chronically underused and take steps to welcome new satellite entrants who will finally put this spectrum to use to serve the American people.”

Elon Musk has long battled with Ergen over EchoStar’s spectrum, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In response to the FCC’s investigation, EchoStar chairman Ergen said: “We have worked collaboratively with FCC leaders since we launched our first DBS satellite more than 30 years ago. Today, we are proud to have invested tens of billions to deploy the world’s largest 5G Open RAN network—primarily using American vendors—across 24,000 5G sites, to offer broadband service to over 268 million people nationwide. Through this deployment, which is possible thanks to scores of tower climbers, engineers and partners, we have met or exceeded all of the commitments we have entered into with the FCC to date. And our work is not yet finished as we continue to deploy and invest in our network. Not only does our network create American jobs and a competitive alternative to incumbent wireless carriers, it also furthers another critical Trump administration priority: Deploying Open RAN to ensure the United States is at the forefront of wireless leadership and that our infrastructure is free of Chinese vendors.”

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission's request for comments on "outdated" rules that should be deleted has prompted Echostar, the owner of Dish, to file comments urging the agency to eliminate rules that prevent satellite carriers from importing distant signals to replace the network programming lost during blackouts resulting from retransmission consent disputes.

The idea will certainly be opposed by broadcasters as it would significantly reduce their leverage during retransmission consent negotiations.

The FCC recently opened a docket called “Delete, Delete, Delete,” asking for comments on rules that should be deleted. That docket has become the second most active on the agency's website, with 559 filings in the last 30 days.

EchoStar’s proposal woud reduce station groups’ leverage with pay TV providers during retrans disputes by allowing cable or satellite operators from another network affiliate during high-profile sporting events other highly desirable programming.

“Permitting the importation of a distant signal during blackouts is a simple way to protect consumers and restore balance to negotiations,” EchoStar argued in the April 10 filing. “To help delete the current prohibition, the Commission does not need to enact a new rule: broadcasters have the power to waive the distant signal restriction. The Commission can accomplish this significant pro-consumer outcome by reminding broadcasters of the totality of the circumstances standard (47 C.F.R. § 76.65(b)) applicable to the good faith requirement and explaining that a refusal to grant a waiver in such circumstances can be relevant under the standard.”

In the filing, EcoStar also urged the FCC to:

• Abolish the syndicated exclusivity and network nonduplication rules;
• Abolish the political file rules applicable to DBS providers;
• Decline to issue further market modifications;
• Effectively delete the prohibition on Importing distant network signals during a blackout;
• Abolish the “HD carry-one, carry-all” rule;
• Clarify the “Nn alteration/deletion” rule.

The complete filing can be accessed here. TV Tech’s full FCC coverage is available here.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—In an effort to become more competitive in the virtual live TV streaming market, Sling TV said it will add unlimited DVR storage for only $5 per month, effective immediately. Unlimited DVR (previously called DVR Plus) will allow customers to record as much content as they want, with recordings saved for up to nine months.

Sling’s announcement comes amid a number of recent shakeups in the streaming industry, in particular in the market for virtual multichannel video program distributors (so-called “vMVPDs”). With YouTubeTV’s announcement of a $10 price hike starting this month, the monthly subscription rates for both it and competitor Disney’s Hulu + Live TV now range from $80-85. Last week’s kerfuffle over Disney merging Hulu + Live TV with live sports streamer FuboTV, followed days later by the cancellation of the joint venture live sports streamer Venu, created the kind of negative publicity none of the companies involved needed or wanted.

Both satellite broadcasters DirecTV and EchoStar, Sling’s parent company, criticized the settlement, telling the Justice Department that they were considering litigation against the transaction. Days later, Venu was scrapped. Yesterday, DirecTV announced the launch of its “MySports” streaming service, which, if Venu had survived, would have been a direct competitor.

Hulu added unlimited DVR to Hulu + Live TV in 2022.

Unlimited storage usually tops the list of most desired features in a vMVPD, and with Sling’s monthly rates ranging between $45-$60, EchoStar felt the time was right.

“With Unlimited DVR and our exclusive Auto Record, Sling TV continues to redefine what value and convenience look like for streaming customers,” Seth Van Sickel, senior vice president, product and operations at Dish Video Services, said. “This enhancement ensures that our subscribers can capture and enjoy their favorite shows, movies, and events on their terms, anytime and anywhere.”

Sling will offer three tiers: “Freestream DVR” provides 10 hours of storage at no cost, with recordings available for up to 30 days; “DVR Free” includes 50 hours of storage with recordings kept for nine months, also free of charge and for $5 per month, Unlimited DVR offers endless storage, allowing users to record as much content as they like with a nine-month retention period.

DirecTV said Wednesday it will drop its bid to merge with EchoStar due to concerns over financing of the deal. The merger would have created the nation’s largest satellite TV service in an industry that launched just 30 years ago.

When the two companies said they would pursue a merger in late September, they struck a deal calling for DirecTV to acquire EchoStar’s video business—comprised of satellite-TV platform Dish TV and streaming pay TV service Sling TV—for $1 (not a typo) plus Dish’s net debt, valued at about $9.75 billion.

In a separate announcement on the same day, TPG, which AT&T has partnered with since 2021 to operate DirecTV’s satellite and streaming services as a joint venture, agreed to acquire the remaining 70% stake in DirecTV that it does not already own for $7.6 billion. The deal was expected to be formalized by the end of 2025. At the time of the original announcement, AT&T and TPG said their separate agreement would "not be affected by the merger."

Bondholders were turned off by the massive debt arrangements in the deal, which had been updated in late October, lowering DirecTV’s minimum loss on $8.9 billion of bonds to $1.5 billion. The deadline to accept the offer was close of business ET on Tuesday. A letter to DirecTV was delivered on Wednesday announcing that “this group has roundly and resolutely rejected the latest proposed exchange offer.”

“The debt holders are saying, ‘You need us to get the deal through, and we’re not going to do it at that much of a discount,’ ” New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin told The Washington Post. "DirecTV is saying, ‘We’re paying full price for the asset and we don’t have any more discount to give.’ And Dish is saying, ‘We’re selling the asset for nothing, for a dollar, so we’ve got no more value to give, either.’ So there’s an impasse.”

A DirecTV spokesperson told the Post: “A successful [debt] exchange was a condition for acquiring the Dish video business. Given the outcome of the EchoStar exchange, DirecTV will have no choice but to terminate the acquisition of Dish by midnight Nov. 22.”

Based on its declining business in recent years, it appeared that EchoStar needed the deal more than DirecTV did. However, an EchoStar representative told the Post it has a “more robust foundation” that would allow the company to survive without a merger, noting that EchoStar secured $2.5 billion in financing to pay its upcoming debt maturity.

A combined DirecTV-Dish would have counted about 17 million subscribers, making it the nation’s largest pay TV service after Comcast, which has just under 13 million as of the end of September. DirecTV currently has about 11.3 million subscribers and Dish roughly 6.7 million subscribers.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., —EchoStar, which hopes to sell its pay TV operations to DirecTV, continued to hemorrhage subscribers in its third-quarter earnings report, with its Dish TV satellite-TV service losing about 188,000 customers.

But Sling TV, its virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD), gained 145,000 subscribers. That put EchoStar’s total pay TV losses at 43,000 subs in Q3, a slight improvement over the 65,000 total video losses it sustained in the year-ago period. Sling TV subscriber growth also represented an improvement over Q3 of 2023, when it gained 117,000 subs.

The subscriber counts are important because they could impact the proposed sales of Dish's pay TV assets to DirecTV and because EchoStar needs the cash from its pay TV operations to help fund its buildout of 5G services.

The company closed the third quarter with 8.03 million pay-TV subscribers, including 5.89 million Dish TV customers and 2.14 million Sling TV households. This decrease in net pay-TV subscriber losses resulted from higher net Sling TV subscriber additions in the third quarter compared to the year-ago quarter and a lower Dish TV churn rate, offset by lower gross new Dish TV subscriber activations, EchoStar said.

Overall, EchoStar reported total revenue of $11.86 billion for the nine months ended Sept. 30, down from $12.85 billion in the year-ago period. Net loss attributable to EchoStar in the first three quarters of 2024 was $454.78 million, a significant decline from a year ago, when it had net income of $327.83 million. Diluted loss per share was $1.67, compared to earnings per share of $1.06 in the year-ago period.

Consolidated operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) totaled $1.23 billion for the nine months ended Sept. 30, compared to $1.69 billion in the year-ago period. That decline is notable because EchoStar hopes to use its cash to fund its pivot to 5G.

Retail wireless subscribers, excluding Affordable Connectivity Program subscribers, increased by about 62,000 in the third quarter. The company closed the third quarter with 6.98 million retail wireless subscribers.

However, retail wireless subscribers decreased by about 297,000 in the third quarter, compared to a decrease of 225,000 a year ago. EchoStar’s wireless losses were up due to net losses of ACP and other government-subsidized subscribers, mainly due to the ACP program concluding on June 1.

The company closed Q3 with 912,000 broadband satellite subscribers, down about 43,000 for the quarter, compared to 59,000 in the year-ago quarter. The decrease in net broadband satellite subscriber losses was primarily due to the new EchoStar XXIV (Jupiter 3) satellite service launch and increased subscriber demand for new satellite service plans.

The third quarter was negatively impacted by the ACP program funding concluding on June 1, EchoStar said.

Years of speculation have finally come to fruition today, as the last two remaining satellite TV providers in the United States announced plans to merge in a deal worth nearly $10 billion. In an announcement from its owner AT&T, DirecTV agreed to acquire Dish parent company EchoStar that will result in creating the nation’s largest pay-TV service.

In a separate announcement, TPG, which AT&T has partnered with since 2021 to operate DirecTV’s satellite and streaming services as a joint venture, agreed to acquire the remaining 70% stake in DirecTV that it does not already own, for $7.6 billion. The deal is expected to be formalized by the end of 2025.

The agreement allows DirecTV to acquire EchoStar’s video business, which includes Dish TV and its Sling TV streaming service for $1 (not a typo) plus Dish’s net debt, valued at about $9.75 billion.

AT&T and TPG said their separate agreement will not be affected by the merger. Analysts expect the merger—which has been attempted in the past but resisted by regulators—will be quickly approved, given the decline in traditional pay-TV revenues that has coincided with the rise in cord cutting and streaming. U.S. pay-TV providers, including satellite TV services, lost 5.04 million subscribers in 2023, an increase from 4.6 million in 2022. This decline is part of a larger trend where pay-TV penetration dropped from 88% in 2010 to 64% in 2023, according to Evoca.

A combined DirecTV/Dish will have almost 20 million subscribers, making it the nation’s largest pay-TV service after Comcast, which has just over 13 million as of the end of June. DirecTV has about 11.3 million subscribers and Dish has approximately 8.07 million subscribers.

DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow and CFO Ray Carpenter are expected to stay on after the merger with the company’s HQ in El Segundo, Calif., current home to DirecTV.

Morrow said of the deal, “With greater scale, we expect a combined DirecTV and Dish will be better able to work with programmers to realize our vision for the future of TV, which is to aggregate, curate, and distribute content tailored to customers’ interests, and to be better positioned to realize operating efficiencies while creating value for customers through additional investment.”

Hamid Akhavan, President and Chief Executive Officer, EchoStar, called the deal “in the best interests of EchoStar’s customers, shareholders, bondholders, employees, and partners,” adding that “with an improved financial profile, we will be better positioned to continue enhancing and deploying our nationwide 5G Open RAN wireless network. This will provide U.S. wireless consumers with more choices and help to drive innovation at a faster pace. We expect Dish and EchoStar bondholders to benefit from two companies with stronger financial profiles and more sustainable capital structures.”

DirecTV launched 30 years ago in June 1994 and Dish debuted in 1996. After some consolidation in the late ‘90’s, the satellite TV market reached its peak during the first decade of the 21st century. However increased competition from pay-TV providers such as Comcast and Charter—which upped its broadband speeds, which, in turn helped birth the streaming phenomenon—took its toll on the industry by the 'teens.

Recent dust-ups, such as DIrecTV’s carriage dispute with Disney as well as the loss of exclusive NFL-wide coverage with its Sunday NFL Ticket package to YouTube TV two years ago, further illustrated the industry’s decline in recent years.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—EchoStar Corporation joined the chorus of growing woes in the pay TV industry during this quarter’s earning season by reporting lower revenue and worse losses both for Q2 ending June 30, 2024 and for the first six months of the year. 

In Q2, net pay-TV subscribers decreased approximately 104,000 in the second quarter, compared to 294,000 in the year ago quarter. The company closed the quarter with 8.07 million Pay-TV subscribers including 6.07 million Dish TV subscribers and 2.00 million Sling TV subscribers. 

EchoStar said that the change in net Pay-TV subscriber losses resulted from Sling TV subscriber additions in the second quarter compared to losses in the year ago quarter and a decrease in net Dish TV subscriber losses due to a lower DISH TV churn rate, offset by lower gross new Dish TV subscriber activations.

The company is investing heavily in 5G and wireless to take up the slack from its declining pay TV business but in Q2 retail wireless net subscribers decreased by approximately 16,000 in the second quarter. The company closed the quarter with 7.28 million retail wireless subscribers. The decrease in net retail wireless subscriber losses resulted from a lower retail wireless churn rate, offset by lower gross new retail wireless subscriber activations, the company said.

EchoStar also noted that the second quarter was negatively impacted by net losses of government subsidized subscribers, including Affordable Connectivity Program ("ACP") subscribers, compared to net additions in the year ago quarter, primarily due to the ACP program funding concluding on June 1, 2024. Excluding the impact of net losses of government subsidized subscribers EchoStar added approximately 32,000 retail wireless subscribers in the second quarter.

Broadband net subscribers decreased by approximately 23,000 in the second quarter, compared to 55,000 in the year ago quarter. The company closed the quarter with 955,000 Broadband subscribers. The net broadband subscriber loss improvement was primarily due to the new EchoStar XXIV satellite service launch and increased subscriber demand for our new satellite service plans.

For the six months ending June 30, 2024, EchoStar reported total revenue of $7.97 billion for the six months ending June 30, 2024, down significantly compared to $8.74 billion in the year ago period.

Losses also widened. The net loss attributable to EchoStar in the first two quarters of 2024 was $312.97 million, compared to net income of $466.20 million in the year ago period. Diluted loss per share was $1.15, compared to earnings per share of $1.51 in the year ago period. Consolidated operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBDA) totaled $912.31 million for the six months ending June 30, 2024, compared to $1.32 billion in the year ago period.

GERMANTOWN, Md.—EchoStar’s Hughes Network Systems has opened a new manufacturing facility and private 5G incubation center in Germantown, Maryland. 

The Hughes Manufacturing Facility (EXM) produces U.S.-made hardware, including the Hughes HT3000W JUPITER System satellite modem and the Hughes HL1120W Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite terminal. 

In addition to about 400 engineers, technicians and manufacturing staff, the Hughes EXM facility utilizes advanced robotics to assist in the manufacture of high-tech products such as satellite modems and terminals. The EXM facility will also serve as a testing ground for private 5G solutions just now reaching the market for Enterprise applications as well as secure 5G networking applications critical to the U.S. Department of Defense.

"Hughes has deep roots in this community. Our capabilities evolved from a long-ago startup in Rockville, Maryland, and we have grown into what is now the leading provider of broadband satellite services, products, and managed network solutions," said Paul Gaske, COO, Hughes. "The EXM facility allows us to continue a proud tradition of designing and manufacturing leading edge products here in Maryland."

Located in the Pinkney Innovation Complex for Science and Technology on the Montgomery College campus, the new manufacturing center will offer hands-on training and educational initiatives for students, helping to develop a pipeline of local technical talent. Students will be able to interact with leading engineers at Hughes through internships, mentoring, and shadowing opportunities. This 140,000-square-foot space is the first-ever manufacturing facility on a community college campus in the U.S.

As a leading satellite technology and managed service provider for government entities and defense agencies, Hughes said it will use the new manufacturing center to provide the U.S. Department of Defense with much-needed, secure onshore manufacturing capabilities.

"The opening of EXM solidifies our dedication to technological innovation, engineering expertise, and fostering the next generation of industry leaders," said Hamid Akhavan, president and CEO, EchoStar. "The products imagined, designed, and fabricated in this building further advance our mission of connecting everyone, everywhere."

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—EchoStar Corporation has announced that it completed its acquisition of Dish Network Corporation on December 31, 2023. 

The completion of the deal brings Charlie Ergen’s EchoStar and Dish holdings back together into one company and is designed to strengthen the companies efforts to better compete in the 5G market. 

"The completion of this merger marks an important milestone for our company and our customers, launching a new era of connectivity," said Charles Ergen, Executive Chairman of the Board of EchoStar. "We have brought together two trailblazing companies with complementary portfolios to create a global connectivity leader with premier wireless, satellite, and video distribution capabilities. Together, EchoStar and Dish offer an enhanced consumer connectivity business and an unmatched enterprise managed services business. In a world that is increasingly wireless, we are well-positioned to drive revenue and profitable growth."

The transaction combines Dish Network's satellite technology, streaming services and nationwide 5G network with EchoStar's premier satellite communications solutions. It comes at a time when cord cutting has heavily cut into Dish Network’s pay TV video subscribers and the company has been spending heavily to expand its 5G network. 

Dish Network's 5G wireless network that now covers more than 70 percent of the U.S. population and the successful launch of EchoStar's Jupiter 3 satellite will provide the company with significant available capacity for converged terrestrial and non-terrestrial services, the company said.  

As a result of the merger, each share of Dish Network Class A Common Stock and Dish Network Class C Common Stock converted into 0.350877 shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock, and each share of Dish Network Class B Common Stock converted into 0.350877 shares of EchoStar Class B Common Stock.

The combined company is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado and offers such services and brands as: Boost Mobile, Boost Infinite, Sling TV and Dish TV, as well as EchoStar, Hughes and Jupiter satellite services, HughesON managed services and HughesNet® satellite internet.

Evercore served as exclusive financial advisor, and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP served as legal counsel to the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of EchoStar. White & Case LLP served as legal counsel to EchoStar.

J.P. Morgan served as exclusive financial advisor, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal counsel to the Special Transaction Committee of the Board of Directors of Dish Network. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP served as legal counsel to Dish Network.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Hamid Akhavan has joined Dish as president and chief executive officer and will oversee the company’s video services, wireless businesses and subsidiaries.

Akhavan, who also will continue in his role as CEO and president of EchoStar, previously was a partner at Twin Point Capital before his taking on the leadership roles at the companies.

In August, when the merger of the companies was announced, there was an announcement that Akhavan would continue as CEO of the combined company. The merger is expected to close by the end of the year, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions, Dish said.

"Hamid brings a unique set of skills to Dish, building off his experience in the technology, telecom, private equity and investment sectors," said Charlie Ergen, co-founder and chairman of Dish Network. "An engineer by background, he's financially astute and a seasoned manager. He currently serves EchoStar, Dish's sister company, as CEO and will lead both companies in order to hit the ground running, once the merger with EchoStar is complete."

Prior to his role with Twin Point Capital, Akhavan was a founding partner at Long Arc Capital and was CEO of Unity (formerly Siemens Enterprise Communications), Chief Operating Offices at Deutsche Telekom and CEO of T-Mobile International, it said.

"There is tremendous opportunity at Dish, and even more so once it's combined with EchoStar," said Akhavan. "This appointment will enable me and the teams to get a head start in preparing to run the combined business of the companies."

More information is available on the company’s website.

DENVER—EchoStar Corporation has announced an agreement with Astro Digital, a designer, manufacturer and operator of small satellite systems, for the construction of a global S-band mobile satellite service (MSS) network. 

The deal is part of a growing push by a number of companies to build low-orbit satellite networks to provide connectivity that could ultimately compete with broadband offerings from cable and other telecommunications providers. 

Under the deal, Astro Digital will manufacture the satellites for the constellation, which will deliver global Internet of Things (IoT), machine-to-machine (M2M) and other data services beginning in 2024. EchoStar will operate the constellation from its Australian subsidiary, EchoStar Global.

"This agreement represents another step forward towards our goal of a global non-terrestrial 5G network," said Hamid Akhavan, CEO, EchoStar. "With our engineering ingenuity, our service delivery expertise and our spectrum rights, EchoStar is uniquely positioned to offer worldwide S-band satellite services to help meet the insatiable demand for complete and constant connectivity."

The 28 satellites in this constellation design will feature an advanced software-defined radio with onboard storage and processing to power smart two-way device connectivity. The satellites will be enabled with the LoRa (meaning "Long Range") protocol for connecting very low-cost, long-lived devices. With support for 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) services, the constellation will serve as a foundation for EchoStar to engineer 5G New Radio (NR) based NTN capabilities according to 3GPP release 17 specifications, the companies reported. 

"These new capabilities will fill a gap in the connected ecosystem, greatly expanding worldwide IoT interoperability," said Josh Williams, managing director, EchoStar Global Australia. "Our team, together with Astro Digital, has already begun integration of our Australian-based operations to bring to market a truly global solution with consistent and reliable network performance."

Through its subsidiary EchoStar Mobile Limited, EchoStar also operates an MSS network in Europe using the geostationary EchoStar XXI satellite, which will interoperate seamlessly with the new LEO constellation.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Network and EchoStar have reached an agreement that will see Dish taking over elements of EchoStar’s Broadcast Satellite Services business.

In exchange for 22.9 million shares of Dish Network stock, valued at approximately $800 million, EchoStar will transfer nine direct broadcast satellites, key employees responsible for satellite operation, licensing for the 61.5-degree orbital slot and select real estate properties to Dish. The shares will be distributed to EchoStar stakeholders.

The DBS spacecraft involved in the transaction include the EchoStar VII, EchoStar X, EchoStar XI, EchoStar XII, EchoStar XIV, EchoStar XVI, EchoStar XXIII, Nimiq 5 and QuetzSat-1.

Dish had previously acquired EchoStar assets to help deliver Dish TV and Sling TV customer experiences in 2017. This new acquisition brings certain elements that were omitted from that acquisition in house for Dish, according to Dish President and CEO Erik Carlson.

The deal is expected to be finalized in the second half of 2019, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions.

ENGLEWOOD, CO--DISH recently launched DISH OnePoint, a free download that allows users to control multiple televisions using an iPad or Android tablet. After loading the DISH OnePoint remote app onto a device, users can control televisions connected to DISH set-top boxes in locations such as sports bars, waiting rooms and fitness centers.

DISH OnePoint is free to load on iPad (iOS v10 and up) and Android tablets (v6.0 and up). The app also works with Wally, DISH's set-top box for businesses, as well as Hopper (all generations) and Joey (all models) receivers, when connected to the internet. Support for Hopper Duo is coming soon.

DISH OnePoint offers users a variety of features:

• Single interface – Control all TVs connected to the property's network via a single app, eliminating the need for multiple remotes.
• Custom groups – Rename individual receivers and create custom groups to easily control a single TV, a group of TVs or the entire entertainment system.
• Favorites – Indicate favorite channels or categories in the interactive guide for efficient channel changes across individual or groups of TVs.
• Interactive guide & search – Search for content in the interactive guide without interrupting the current program. Filter content by pre-selected favorites or genre, including sports, movies and shows.

"For businesses with multiple TVs, DISH OnePoint eliminates the stress of mixing up remotes or scrolling endlessly through the programming guides," said Alistair Chatwin, vice president of DISH Business. "Now customers don't have to miss a second of their team's game or favorite show while waiting for employees to find the right channel – DISH OnePoint creates a better television experience for everyone."

WASHINGTON—EchoStar has been given the greenlight to import, market and sell its AirTV system by the FCC. The Commission issued an opinion and order last week that found the AirTV, which is targeted at cord-cutters and reportedly support over-the-air digital TV signals and over-the-top content, is “capable of adequately receiving all channels allocated by the Commission to the television broadcast service.”

Read the full story on TVT’s sister publication, Multichannel News.

WASHINGTON—In response to a petition filed by EchoStar to the FCC on Oct. 7 that the Commission waive Section 15.117(b) of its rules, which requires broadcast receives to be capable of receiving all channels allocated by the Commission to the television broadcast service until Aug. 31, 2017, the FCC is now requesting comments from the industry. EchoStar wants to waive this rule to allow it to import, market, distribute and sell its AirTV, an internet-enabled set-top box that does not include analog tuners.

Comments may be filed using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System, or sent in by hand or messenger delivery, commercial overnight courier, or the U.S. Postal Service. Hand delivered filings must be sent to 445 12th St., SW, Room TW-A325, Washington D.C., 20554. Commercial overnight delivery must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, Md., 20743. U.S. Postal Service filings must be sent to 445 12th St., SW, Washington D.C., 20554.

The Comment filing deadline is Oct. 26. The Reply Comment deadline will be on Nov. 2.

For more information, contact Brendan Murray at Brendan.Murray@fcc.gov or 202-418-1573.