Dish Disputes T-Mobile Arguments on Planned Closing of CDMA Network

Dish Network slammed T-Mobile’s defense of plans to close its legacy CDMA network at the end of this year in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-197. T-Mobile’s latest was posted Tuesday (see 2104120035). “T-Mobile makes no effort to challenge the central basis of DISH’s concerns: that the accelerated shutdown of the CDMA network likely will harm millions of Boost consumers, many who already face economic challenges,” Dish said. “This is because the harms are indisputable.” Dish wants the carrier to “honor the commitments it made to regulators under oath and keep the CDMA network operational until at least July 2023.” T-Mobile agreed to sell Boost to Dish as a concession to regulators as it sought approval to buy Sprint. Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America, spoke with aides to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on the group's concerns. “A pandemic emergency is the worst time possible for pre-paid mobile subscribers to lose cellular phone service, or for a rapid transition that reportedly faces the challenges of contacting customers and providing them with a new device, SIM card and/or software upgrade,” he said.