Dish's Ergen Discusses Network Plans If T-Mobile Deal Succeeds

(Bloomberg) -- Dish Network Corp. told the U.S. antitrust chief how the company’s wireless buildout plans might be affected by T-Mobile US Inc.’s proposed purchase of Sprint Corp., according to a filing by the company that’s been on an airwaves acquisition spree in recent years.

The discussion took place as Dish’s co-founder and chairman, Charlie Ergen, met June 11 with the Justice Department’s Makan Delrahim and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, according to the filing posted Friday on the FCC’s website.

Dish, Charter Communications Inc. and Altice USA Inc. are among bidders for assets T-Mobile plans to sell to win regulatory approval for the $26.5 billion takeover of Sprint, Bloomberg News reported June 12. The deal would combine the lagging nationwide mobile providers to form a new rival to the two largest operators, AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc.

Dish still opposes the transaction as it’s currently constructed, according to the filing with the FCC. The company sees a “need for a minimum of four nationwide mobile network operators,” according to the filing.

The document didn’t provide specifics but said Dish “discussed the impact of the proposed merger on Dish’s market entry and its wireless buildout plans.”

T-Mobile and Sprint have agreed to quickly build an advanced 5G network and to sell prepaid wireless brand Boost to satisfy the FCC, which like the Justice Department is vetting the transaction. To win over Justice’s antitrust division, the companies are also discussing offloading another prepaid brand and airwaves for a fourth competitor.

To contact the reporter on this story: Todd Shields in Washington at tshields3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, Elizabeth Wasserman, Steve Geimann

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.