Dish announced this week that as of June 14, Dish Wireless is offering 5G broadband service to over 70% of the U.S. population, providing access to more than 240 million people.
Termed a “major milestone” for the company, Dish says its “first-of-its-kind 5G network” which it built in three years has satisfied all its FCC June 14, 2023 deadline including launching over 15,000 5G sites. If it had missed the deadline, the company would have had to return spectrum licenses in the AWS-4 (2000-2020 MHz / 2180-2200 MHz), lower 700 MHz E block and AWS H block (1915-1920 MHz/1995-2000 MHz) bands.
"Our teams have worked tirelessly for years, and this achievement is a testament to their dedication and commitment as we grow the world's first and only 5G cloud-native Open RAN network," said Dave Mayo, executive vice president, Network Development, DISH Wireless. "We appreciate the continued support and efforts of our partners as DISH continues to lead the industry in Open RAN deployment."
Dish is also the first wireless service provider to launch 5G voice over new radio (VoNR) in the U.S. Since going live in Las Vegas last year, Dish steadily increased VoNR functionality to additional markets, which now covers more than 70 million people nationwide through both Boost Mobile and Boost Infinite. Dish says it plans to continue rolling out VoNR service as the network is further optimized for this next-generation voice technology.
"As a leader in Open RAN technology, DISH is playing a major role in the transformation of America's wireless infrastructure and the way the world communicates," said John Swieringa, president and chief operating officer, DISH Wireless. "We have made significant progress on our network buildout, and can now focus on monetizing the network through retail and enterprise growth. With more markets across the country offering the DISH 5G network for voice, text and data services, our business can start realizing the benefits of owner economics."
Customers can access the Dish 5G broadband network through Project Genesis, which provides customer input on network performance impacting Dish's broader retail wireless users. It is available to anyone in a qualifying location within the 70% coverage area.
Dish’s next buildout deadline in June 2025 to reach 75% of Partial Economic Areas (PEAs) is expected to be more difficult to attain given that the company will need approximately $2 billion-$3 billion as it attempts to extend its reach into more rural areas.
New Street Research (NSR) analyst Jonathan Chaplin called the deployment of VoNR a “positive step” since it will no longer have to depend on MVNO partners T-Mobile and AT&T to connect its 5G customers.
