Jul 1, 2020 - Technology

Dish officially enters wireless business, buying Boost from T-Mobile

Ina Fried

Dish Network

Dish Network is now in the wireless business, having closed its $1.4 billion purchase of Boost Mobile and other prepaid assets from T-Mobile.

Why it matters: The deal was a condition for regulatory approval of T-Mobile's Sprint purchase and is part of an effort to create a fourth national wireless carrier.

How it works: Dish will operate Boost, but utilize T-Mobile's network while it builds its own 5G network.

Boost is reviving an option where customers' bills go down over time if they pay them on time. A new "$hrink-It!" plan starts at $45 per month for 15 gigabytes of data, but goes down by $5 per month after three on-time payments and by an additional $5 after six on-time payments. (Boost offered a similar plan until 2014.)
A separate option will offer 10GB of data and unlimited text and talk for $35 per month.

Go deeper: Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen says history will vindicate him on 5G

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Dish officially enters wireless business, buying Boost from T-Mobile

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