FCC Consolidates Dish Extension Requests, T-Mobile/Sprint Application

The FCC Wireless Bureau said it’s consolidating Dish Network requests for extra time to build out various spectrum licenses with T-Mobile and Sprint requests for approval of their deal. Last month, Dish sought extensions for AWS 4, lower 700 MHz E-block and AWS H-block licenses, the bureau said Thursday: “With those requests, DISH expressed a willingness to accept a number of conditions that would generally require it to construct a nationwide 5G broadband network, subject to making significant financial payments if it fails do so.” All are consolidated under docket 18-197. The FCC said attorneys general in two more states, Indiana and Texas, sought access to numbering resource utilization and forecast reports filed by carriers and disaggregated, carrier-specific local number portability data as they scrutinize the deal. "The Commission is providing this notice to inform carriers of the requests … to allow carriers the opportunity to contact those Offices of Attorney General or to take any other action they may deem appropriate if they have concerns or oppose disclosure,” said a separate Thursday notice.