FCC Gives Dish Network Approval to Build Own LTE Network

by: Kellex | posted 12.12.12 | News

The FCC has voted in favor of allowing Dish Network to use their AWS spectrum as a 4G LTE wireless network. Dish will now “consider its strategic options,” but as you all know, Google was once brought up as a potential partner for the satellite company. Those rumors seem to have died a bit, but in order for those talks to even advance, you would assume that this approval needed to happen first. Sprint has also been linked to Dish, along with a handful of other companies.

Via: Engadget | FCC

cloud36426

I don’t have any T-MO service here. Doesn’t Straight Talk throttle after 2 GB? I am on Verizon Unlimited now and the are testing LTE here now. I was thinking about the Nexus 4 buy only prepay options are AT&T or Straight Talk. I don’t know about AT&T prepay but would imagine it is just as expensive as what I have on Verizon now. Kinda thinking that I am pretty much stuck with Verizon as far as coverage and unlimited go.
Luxferro

I’m up for some Google Wireless LTE, if they have comparative prices to T-Mobiles $30 pre-paid plans… which is something they’d probably do if they wanted to convert the masses – or at least a good portion of them.
joejoe5709

Nice. Looking forward to this. As it stands, I could care less but it would be pretty cool to have a Google wireless and ditch Verizon. It might take until 2013 for my wife to realize her iPhone was a terrible idea anyway and then we can switch. HaHa!
- Learned
  
  Couldn’t care less…. saying “you could care less” indicates you have care and have the ability to care less… saying “you couldn’t care less” indicates you have zero care and is impossible to care less than what you do.
ChuckNorris

Makes VOLTE (Voice over LTE) make alot more sense!
Aardvark99

Release the Kraken!
Butters619

Oh Sprint. Partnering up with another company was a great investment in the past.

/s
http://twitter.com/Chasemanhattan3 Chase Chick

Please dear lord let Google get involved with this. I’m going to the Galleria right now to ask Santa if he can do something…

You know now that I think things over, I used to have Dish for satellite service. Dish is worse that ATT. They are one of the WORST service providers of any sort of all time. Seriously would not let Dish run a Dairy Queen at this point…
- Adam
  
  I switched to DirecTV from Dish 4 months ago and it was a huge mistake… Everytime I had a problem with Dish their customer service treated me right… DirecTV has been a pain in my backside… I also think people are looking too far into this, without anything set in stone this could be more of a home internet option for people
  - http://twitter.com/Chasemanhattan3 Chase Chick
    
    Work for Dish much?
Droidzilla

So this is why Google has that hidden LTE modem in the Nexus 4.
- JasonIvers
  
  AWS-4, yep. The exact (and only) LTE that the Nexus 4 supports.
FrankBoston

This is what happens when the big providers don’t play nice…what fools. Now Google will have their own ntwk to put their phones on. Amazing…love it! You can bet on a whole slew of nexus products to come out now…
AxemRed

I wonder if they’re going to use this for phones or if their goal is to use it to add internet access to their services offerings to better compete with Comcast and AT&T.
- gutbucketrider
  
  I’m sure the intent is to offer Highspeed wireless internet that would squash what Direct offers… Somehow I doubt they’re looking to get into the phone business.
npompei

“The Nexus 6 – brought to you by Diggle”
- PhoenixPath
  
  You mean by Goodish, right?
  
  The new Nexus 6. It’s Goodish!
EC8CH

Google:

Buy Dish Network please.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=120701197 Daniel Sharpe

Unlocked Nexus Devices on a 4GLTE network with Unlimited Data? Verizon who?
- http://twitter.com/TraciJohnson19 Traci Johnson
  
  We were paying ~130 before tax for Verizon. With these plans, I’m saving $1320 over the two year contract.… http://youtubeGoogleAmericanJob.qr.net/jVwS/watch?v=lQPBSI0W9o4R
moelsen8

woo come on doogle!
KleenDroid

Amazing
Immolate

More recently, Dish was making googly eyes with Sprint about a partnership. Might just be pushing Google’s buttons, trying to increase the price of course. There are also the evergreen rumors of a Dish/DTV merger, although the FTC put the kabosh on that a few years ago. Different world now though.

PS: FYI, Sprint owns the spectrum on the other side of the 5Mhz slice that the FCC has designated as a buffer zone. If they do partner, that 5Mhz will be useable, as long as Sprint and Dish combine the spectrum into a larger whole.
C-Law

I hope they partner with Google and Houston is one of the first cities. Cya Verizon.
- http://twitter.com/Chasemanhattan3 Chase Chick
  
  Dallas would be better… cause Dallas is better!
  - SockKitty
    
    You’re both wrong. Austin is where it’s at.
Shane Milton

Just as long as Verizon doesn’t get this spectrum directly or indirectly, I’m probably fine with the outcome. Verizon has far too much of the possible spectrum for my comfort.
Bionic

And google is offering a $1 Billion partnership to get Google Wireless going.
Pat Hamilton

YES
Justin Kos

Who’s got the shut up and take my money pic?
- http://profiles.google.com/zkolev Zack Kolev
  
  If its with Google as a partner, they can have my money right now.
  - Justin Kos
    
    My verizon grandfathered unlimited plan is up in 2013 too, I’m reviewing all options.. But this would be incredible
    - Droidzilla
      
      Sold my Verizon unlimited plan and RAZR and got me a Nexus 4 on prepaid. Best Android decision I’ve ever made.
      - http://www.facebook.com/borgey401 Andrew Borges
        
        I am thinking about doing this exact same thing.
      - http://twitter.com/BlackBlizzNerd Ben Landwehr
        
        I’d love to do this, but LTE is the only 4G in my area. No HSPA+ is up on any network.
      - Droidzilla
        
        That sucks. I’m lucky to have Verizon LTE, AT&T HSPA+, and T-Mo HSPA+.
      - http://www.getintonursing.com/ Jon
        
        Where did you sell the plan? I’m trying to sell mine now. I’m done with Verizon. So expensive and I’m tired of waiting around for certain phones and updates.
      - Droidzilla
        
        http://www.howardforums.com/
        http://cellphoneforums.net/
        
        Both are good spots for it. You ought to be able to get around $100 or more for an unlimited plan. Good luck!
      - Jason Jackson
        
        what network you have with that prepaid bc im in the same boat for losing unlimited on VZW?
      - Droidzilla
        
        I’m doing T-Mo prepaid, $30/month for no-overage internet (throttled after 5GB), unlimited texting, and 100 minutes. My wife’s doing Straight Talk for $45/month for unlimited everything (though the internet can be throttled over something like 2-3GB). Straight Talk will work on either AT&T or T-Mo, and the Nexus 4 does both.
        
        We were paying ~130 before tax for Verizon. With these plans, I’m saving $1320 over the two year contract.
      - moelsen8
        
        my vzw account was just disabled today! i did the same thing, ported to google voice. have both a tmo and straight talk account at the moment while i’m testing. both are pretty awesome in the area i live.. HSPA+ is faster than i really believed based on what i read.. it really is plenty fast for me (besides the slight delay when you start downloading a web page or file, i wouldn’t be able to tell you if the connection were LTE or HSPA+). and the battery life is killer so far. exciting times.
      - Droidzilla
        
        Yep; battery life is awesome if you give it a few days! I get 15 hours with 1-2 hours of screen on time, 1-2 hours of streaming music, 30 minutes of GPS, etc. Pretty darned good.
      - fixxmyhead
        
        its cuz u were brainwashed by gayrizon to think that. nexus 4 and tmobile prepaid is the way to go. hspa+ is plenty fast enough
      - T4rd
        
        I’ve been considering doing this. Did you have to lose your phone number when you did this too?
      - Droidzilla
        
        Yes, but I use my Google Voice number for everything so it wasn’t an issue for me.
  - michael arazan
    
    Dish needs Google as a partner, especially for financial backing. The FCC will now auction off more spectrum that Dish and Sprint will be bidding for, and If Dish Gets Google to commit, there will be no way Sprint could out bid both of them for the spectrum, and the spectrum is one that both dish has and sprint uses only keeping other carriers out.
    
    I too would love it though, hopefully it will be branded The Nexus Carrier.

FCC Gives Dish Network Approval to Build Own LTE Network

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