Dish is on a mission to become the US’ fourth wireless carrier. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Dish Network has a new network operator partner for its MVNO brands: AT&T. The companies have signed a network services agreement (NSA) that will see Dish pay AT&T at least $5 billion over the course of the next ten years to use its 4G and 5G networks as Dish brings its own 5G network online.
The deal takes effect immediately and comes at a time when relations between Dish and T-Mobile — currently a major network partner — are particularly strained. It’s a nonexclusive agreement, and Dish says that some of its customers will likely continue to connect to T-Mobile’s network. The arrangement also gives AT&T the right to request access to use some of Dish’s wireless spectrum.
Dish owns Boost Mobile, Ting, and Republic Wireless MVNOs,…
