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  "description": "Is the EchoStar saga a success story for spectrum entrepreneurship, or cautionary tale about consolidation in wireless?",
  "path": "/america-loses-dish-a-national-wireless-carrier-in-2025/",
  "publishedAt": "2025-12-16T15:33:09.000Z",
  "site": "https://broadbandbreakfast.com",
  "tags": [
    "_****One Carr driving the Federal Communications Commission****_",
    "_****Two superpowers racing toward AI superintelligence dominance****_",
    "_****Three branches of government (and some formerly independent agencies)****_",
    "_****Four programs with Universal Service Funds****_",
    "_****56 states and territories without digital equity grants****_",
    "_****Less than 6 months for a broadband permit****_",
    "_****Data center-powered electricity bills up 70 percent****_",
    "_****800 megahertz of spectrum to sell at auction****_",
    "_****$9 billion + 12 billion (or $21 billion) in BEAD remaining funds****_",
    "_****Not even $10/month for an affordable connectivity program****_",
    "_****Through BEAD and broadband, 110 million locations served****_",
    "_****More than 1200 megahertz of spectrum for unlicensed wireless****_",
    "_****Click to read each of the 12 Days of Broadband articles!****_",
    "Jostling in the Airwaves Resumes After Passage of Trump’s Budget BillTrump’s budget law mandated a ‘spectrum pipeline’ to sell off 800 megahertz of spectrum. Coupled with FCC pressure, the law is quickly re-arranging the commercial airwavesBroadband BreakfastJake Neenan",
    "Subscribe now"
  ],
  "textContent": "_Editor's Note: Published on Dec. 16, 2025; republished on Jan. 6, 2026._\n\nAt the beginning of 2025, there were four national wireless carriers in the United States. By the end, there were three.\n\n#### 12 Days of Broadband 2025 (click to open)\n\n  * _****On the First Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****One Carr driving the Federal Communications Commission****_ _****.****_\n  * _****On the Second Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****Two superpowers racing toward AI superintelligence dominance****_ _****.****_\n  * _****On the Third Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****Three branches of government (and some formerly independent agencies)****__****.****_\n  * _****On the Fourth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****Four programs with Universal Service Funds****_ _****.****_\n  * _****On the Fifth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****56 states and territories without digital equity grants****_.\n  * _****On the Sixth Day of Broadband, my true level sent to me:****__****Less than 6 months for a broadband permit****_ _****.****_\n  * _****On the Seventh Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****Data center-powered electricity bills up 70 percent****_ _****.****_\n  * _****On the Eighth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****800 megahertz of spectrum to sell at auction****_ _****.****_\n  * _****On the Ninth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****$9 billion + 12 billion (or $21 billion) in BEAD remaining funds****_ _****.****_\n  * _****On the Tenth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****Not even $10/month for an affordable connectivity program****_ _****.****_\n  * _****On the Eleventh Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****Through BEAD and broadband, 110 million locations served****_ _****.****_\n  * _****On the Twelfth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:****__****More than 1200 megahertz of spectrum for unlicensed wireless****_ _****.****_\n\n\n\n_****Click to read each of the 12 Days of Broadband articles!****_\n\nAfter Federal Communications Commission probes into its spectrum licenses, EchoStar reached deals this fall with AT&T and SpaceX to sell much of those licenses in deals totalling $42.6 billion.\n\nAs a result of those deals, EchoStar is decommissioning its wireless network but will continue serving its Boost Mobile customers largely on AT&T infrastructure. That’s already led to a legal battle with a major tower company as EchoStar looks to exit contracts related to the network.\n\n### _See also Broadband Breakfast's 'Spectrum Wars' feature:_\n\n Jostling in the Airwaves Resumes After Passage of Trump’s Budget BillTrump’s budget law mandated a ‘spectrum pipeline’ to sell off 800 megahertz of spectrum. Coupled with FCC pressure, the law is quickly re-arranging the commercial airwavesBroadband BreakfastJake Neenan\n\n### This post is for subscribers only\n\nBecome a member to get access to all content\n\nSubscribe now",
  "title": "America Loses Dish, a National Wireless Carrier, in 2025",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-11T05:41:30.413Z"
}