Tag: Dish Network

Dish Network’s Boost Wireless Accelerates 5G Innovation with VoNR Service Rollout

In a strategic move to enhance its standing in the fiercely competitive telecommunications landscape, Dish Network has unveiled plans to expand its Voice over New Radio (VoNR) service throughout its network later this year. Leveraging Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) agreements with industry giants AT&T and T-Mobile, Dish aims to seamlessly connect its customers, even in areas where its proprietary 5G network is not yet available.

Dish’s Ambitious Stride 

While Dish faces challenges in positioning itself as a formidable competitor alongside industry giants like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, the company remains undeterred in its pursuit of excellence. Dish takes pride in its cloud-native, open Radio Access Network (RAN) 5G infrastructure, a key differentiator in its bid to carve a niche in the highly competitive market.

John Swieringa, President of Technology and COO at Dish Wireless, emphasized the company’s commitment to network development, stating, “We’re investing in our network, actively bringing new markets online across the country, and we’re proud to officially launch the Boost Wireless Network in Denver.” This commitment is a crucial step for Dish as it seeks to compete on a national scale, positioning itself as the fourth wireless carrier in the nation.

Boost Wireless Network Expansion

The Boost Wireless Network, an integral part of Dish’s wireless portfolio, is set to undergo a significant expansion. Boost Infinite plans, starting at an attractive $25 per month, provide users with affordable and feature-rich options. Additionally, Boost Mobile prepaid plans are available for as low as $15 per month, providing flexibility to a diverse user base. These plans can be conveniently accessed online at BoostInfinite.com or Amazon.com/BoostInfinite.

Innovation and Value Proposition

Despite criticism from analysts regarding the branding strategy and the limited availability of physical retail stores for the postpaid brand, Dish remains steadfast in its commitment to innovation and value. Dish emphasizes that there are over 40 Boost Mobile stores located in the Denver market alone, showcasing its dedication to providing accessible services to consumers.

Device Variety and Choices

Dish is not just focusing on network expansion but also on providing customers with a wide range of device options. Customers in Denver can choose from an array of devices, including the latest iPhone 15, Samsung A23 5G, Motorola Razr 2023, and Dish’s own Boost-exclusive Celero 5G+. This diverse lineup ensures that customers have the flexibility to select devices that suit their preferences and needs.

Future Rollout Strategy

Dish is setting an ambitious pace for network expansion, with additional markets slated to go live every month through the first half of 2024. This strategic rollout positions Dish to continually enhance its market presence and compete effectively in an industry where technological innovation and widespread network coverage are paramount.

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AT&T and Dish Network win big in latest 5G spectrum auction

As wireless carriers in the U.S. look to build out their 5G networks, they’ve partly looked to acquire mid-band spectrum through auctions held by the FCC. Most talked about has been the C-Band. This was acquired by AT&T and Verizon and has experienced serious delays due to possible interference with aircraft tools. However, another major auction just took place. This time for licenses of wireless spectrum that sits between the 2.5 gigahertz and 3.5 gigahertz range of radio frequencies. In comparison, it was smaller than the previous C-Band auction. 

This auction, for the 3.45 GHz spectrum, started back in October. It has finally come to an end with AT&T and Dish network as its big winners. AT&T spent $9.1 billion and Dish spent $7.3 billion. T-Mobile was the third-highest bidder in the auction, spending $2.9 billion. Verizon Communications did not participate in the auction, likely because of the millions (together with AT&T) already spent on the C-Band.  

Per the FCC this past Friday, the auction brought in more than $22.5 billion in total proceeds for the 5G wireless spectrum. Congress required a portion of the proceeds, which are going to be used to pay for new equipment. This is meant to ensure that existing military equipment can coexist with cell towers and other gear used by wireless carriers when they deploy 5G service. All other money from the auction will go to the US Treasury. 

Overall, AT&T is still coming in at the bottom when compared to T-Mobile and Verizon in 5G coverage, though that could change with the addition of this mid-band spectrum. These airwaves were once reserved for the military, but will soon be used for 5G wireless service, hopefully without any delays! The mid-band spectrum has the ability to connect more devices and offer real-time feedback, which is helping to advance things like self-driving cars and advanced augmented reality experiences. Mid-band spectrum provides more-balanced coverage and capacity due to its ability to cover a several-mile radius with 5G, despite needing more cell sites than lower-tiered spectrum bands. 

Even after all the mid-band coverage, there is still demand for more mobile services. Wireless carriers have all been asking for more airwaves to be made available. In response, the FCC has been working to repurpose spectrum from other industries, including TV and satellite broadcasters. They’ve also looked to commercial entities for spectrum and are coordinating with certain government agencies like the Defense Department, to provide commercial providers with more access to spectrum. 

In recent years, the wireless industry has dedicated more than $100 billion into acquiring these airwave licenses. The FCC is planning for even more auctions in the future.

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An Update on Dish Network’s 5G Rollout

Stepping up to the 5G game is Dish Network, who back in May reported they had plans to make their 5G network the end all, be all, of networks. Later, they also vowed to cover at least 10k sites with their 5G coverage by the end of 2022. 

Dish’s big play here is to utilize cloud based architecture for its standalone 5G network. This should allow them to provide more service to consumers as well as enterprises. They’ve already had time to work with AWS (Amazon Web Services) to host its 5G RAN and core. Network Chief of Dish Network, Marc Rouanne, said [at an AWS conference] that their decision will allow them to build a network optimized not just for human but also machine-to-machine communications.

Rouanne also discussed how their service will be a “network of networks,” where each sub-network is defined by the specific needs of each enterprise. This is where AWS comes into play – it is a platform where as a consumer, you can design the type of connection your application requires, and it’s done in a simplified way. 

“It’s not just one size fits all like we used to. It will be customizable by speed, latency…and many other features,” said Rouanne. 

On its cloud-based 5G network, “companies will be able to utilize aggregated and analyzed data to identify patterns and improve [the] customer experience,” Rouanne explained. He added the ability to drive automation at scale using artificial intelligence and machine learning will be critical in helping it manage the highly complex “network of networks” it envisions.

It’s pushing hard to bring its vision to life. Rouanne said it’s already able to create a nationwide network that it can “scale up and down at will, which would have taken years on the classical 4G or 5G network.” He added “We can literally move the software around, north and south, in hours, which again would have taken years in existing networks because it’s tied to tons of hardware.”

“Looking ahead, Dish is going to be the enabler of technology people have not even imagined yet,” Rouanne claimed.

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