Dish Network managed to meet the FCC deadline requiring it to expand its 5G service to 120 cities by June 14, 2022.
Dish Network played a pivotal role in the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, as regulators wanted a fourth nationwide carrier to provide competition and ensure the US wireless industry didn’t consolidate around just three carriers. T-Mobile and Sprint were required to offload spectrum and assets to Dish Network in an effort to help it get up and running as a competitive option.
One of the requirements, however, was for Dish to cover at least 20% of the US population by June 14. According to the company, it has now achieved nationwide status, covering 120 cities as of June 14.
Stephen Stokols, CEO of Dish’s Boost Mobile, tweeted the news:
Access to the most advanced 5G network in the world officially live in over 120 cities today: Genesis5G.com
Dish has not explicitly said the 120 cities represent 20% of the population, but given how much the company is touting that milestone, it’s a safe bet those cities cross the milestone or are very close. In the meantime, the FCC told CNET it was closely monitoring the situation.
“Consumers benefit when there is more competition in our wireless industry,” an FCC spokesperson said via email. “We are closely monitoring DISH’s 5G build out to ensure that they are meeting all of their requirements in the law.”
