Dish exec: we have an 80% chance of succeeding in cellphones
updated 12:55 pm EST, Thu February 23, 2012
Dish CEO positive on cellphones if FCC clears it
Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen believed his company had an 80 percent shot at succeeding with its potential 4G phone network. It hinged on the FCC giving the LTE network a waiver to run, but he called it both a core part of Dish's plans. Cellphone service could even be a "transformative strategy," Ergen said.
The FCC is already reviewing the request, filed last summer, and has until March 12 to give an answer on whether Dish can use the frequencies it has licenses for. Ergen wouldn't say what would happen if the FCC denied the waiver, although it may have to either curb its plans or consider selling the airwave licenses to others.
Dish bought TerreStar and its frequencies last year to go beyond its traditional satellite TV business. If completed, the network could mount serious competition for major carriers that are so far used only to outside challenges from smaller, regional providers. [via The Hollywood Reporter]
