Going beyond traditional wireless means and into building a 5G network that is innovative, open for collaboration, and disruptive to the industry as a whole, DISH Wireless is promising a 5G network unlike any other with plenty of functionality to follow. As if taking on its newly acquired customer base that came with purchasing Boost Mobile wasn’t enough, DISH Wireless is working to build its network which will cover most Americans over the next few years and change the way fixed wireless and the Internet of Things (IoT) works forever.

The Timeline of DISH Wireless

DISH Wireless is here but to get the full effect will take some time and to understand the full spectrum, no pun intended, of DISH Wireless, we need to go back to 2008. See, it was here when DISH Network would first purchase a wireless spectrum license, beginning a true interest in starting what would become DISH Wireless.

Over the next several years, DISH would acquire spectrum through various auctions and begin to amass a sizable collection of spectrum. So much spectrum that the FCC would get involved and look to stifle DISH’s ambitions because it wasn’t active in the wireless industry. With a growing desire to enter the industry, DISH fought for its right to acquire and hold spectrum that could be used for wireless communication and would eventually find a new opportunity, purchasing Boost Mobile.

After breaking ground on Tower 1 in 2018 and even testing LTE back as far as 2013, DISH was ready to begin serving wireless customers and found Boost Mobile to be the ideal avenue to do so. Owned by Sprint at the time, Boost Mobile being sold worked for both parties because in what would become an ongoing battle that would span years, T-Mobile desired to complete a merger with Sprint. The problem? The FCC and Department of Justice (DoJ).

The government didn’t want to allow the merger to go through in fear that a three company major wireless market would hinder competition and create an opportunity for monopolization. To protect consumers, the deal was shot down. It wasn’t until various terms were met, DISH was brought on board to purchase Boost Mobile, and a hearing that the merger was allowed to be completed, thus, providing DISH with the opportunity to purchase Boost Mobile for what would come out to be $1.4 billion in 2020.

Now that deal is done, the real work can begin. DISH Wireless was officially formed and due to the terms and conditions brought on by the government, DISH Wireless will now need to fulfill its obligation of covering 75% of America’s Partial Economic Area (PEA) by June 14, 2025, or face a fine that reaches over $2 billion.

The 5G network that is to come will be one rooted in innovative technology allowing for new capabilities in both personal and commercial markets. Revolutionizing everything from the way we stream our favorite videos to the way we communicate with the environment around us to building and driving, or rather not driving, our automobiles (autonomous cars). There are a lot of possibilities but one thing is for certain: wireless communication as we know it will never be the same thanks to DISH Wireless.

Openness and Innovation are at the Core of DISH Wireless

If DISH Wireless is to disrupt the 5G market, they’re going to do so by embracing collaboration and innovation. By joining the O-RAN Alliance, both of these objectives see a notable step taken towards completing them. Founded in 2018, the O-RAN Alliance is a place for wireless companies to foster new ideas, create innovative solutions with lower costs, and provide interchangeable solutions to advance the wireless industry as a whole. Here, vendors and innovators can collaborate and create viable solutions for a fraction of the cost in a fraction of the time.

The foundation of DISH Wireless is to create a 5G network, unlike any other network. Other wireless companies are already working towards serving customers on what is now 4G LTE and transitioning to 5G as we write this article. But because DISH Wireless is coming into 5G fresh, concepts that have never been seen before or have not been done from scratch, will all be a part of their 5G network. DISH Wireless has outlined several features that will help create its state-of-the-art 5G network with faster speeds, a smoother experience, and lower latency than others:

Innovative Component	Description
Cloud-native	By creating a cloud-native 5G network, DISH Wireless will be capable of capitalizing on the strengths of cloud computing. This will create a 5G network infrastructure that can handle innovative testing and collaboration while still powering itself for subscribers.
O-RAN Compliant	Collaboration and openness will allow DISH Wireless to continue its trend of acquiring helpful vendors to provide the best wireless solutions and build the best 5G network possible.
Software-based and Programmable	The physical infrastructure that it takes to build a wireless network is costly and 5G is no exception. Due to the nature of 5G’s frequency, the spectrum does not travel far and pales heavily in comparison to 4G LTE. By using a software-based and programmable approach, DISH Wireless will cut costs for both building and maintaining the 5G wireless network. DISH Wireless is building resulting in faster solutions and better maintenance with fewer network disruptions.
Network Slicing	By using network slicing, DISH Wireless can create end-to-end network solutions specific to the task at hand. Combined with its dynamic pricing model, this allows DISH Wireless to sell network usage at prices set in real-time.
Automation	Through automation, expect to see DISH Wireless push the boundaries of what 5G can do by facilitating a smoother network and faster speeds. Automation allows for better network management and frees up DISH Wireless to focus on larger tasks while leaving smaller ones to AI and machine learning.
Versatile Spectrum	DISH Wireless is creating a 5G network that uses all bands with 5G capabilities, low-band, mid-band, and high-band (mmWave), to create a comprehensive 5G experience. Together with native carrier aggregation, DISH Wireless will overcome the issues of sending 5G over larger distances and provide markets with a more complete experience.
Scalability	A scalable 5G network means that DISH Wireless can control maintenance and security over a larger market with ease. Empowering its 5G network with a greenfield design and AI will allow quicker buildouts to bring consumers a better network faster.
Open Source and Open Interface	Staying true to their roots in the O-RAN Alliance, DISH Wireless is creating an open source and open interface 5G network that will allow a variety of vendors to work on cheaper, more efficient solutions in a faster time frame.
Virtualization	Better performance with faster solutions, stronger security features to protect you from cyberattacks, and a reduced cost of building out a 5G network nationwide are just some of the exciting benefits DISH Wireless is bringing thanks to virtualization.

These features will in turn benefit not only the way DISH Wireless can provide a 5G network for its subscribers, but the way we interact as a whole. Many features will birth capabilities that previous wireless generations were unable to empower before. DISH Wireless has outlined a variety of sectors that will see a boost in the way they operate because of 5G and a big reason for this is the aggressive stance that the company is taking in the realm of fixed wireless.

DISH Wireless Will Change 5G Cellular Networks and Fixed Wireless

Wireless communications go far beyond smartphones and DISH Wireless is prepared to enter these spaces with a 5G network capable of doing more. Fixed wireless is a tremendous form of wireless communication that allows a main tower to be fed broadband through a wired connection and transmit that network through the air to other fixed towers/antennas/radios that can send and receive signals as well.

Today, fixed wireless is used in a variety of ways but is limited because of the technology of our present time. Tomorrow, fixed wireless will be capable of surpassing wired connections including cable and fiber Internet, and transmit these speeds to more markets and through more applications than ever before. The future of wireless communications is intertwined with 5G and that future is one filled with more speed and less lagging. Some of the sectors in which DISH Wireless plans to use fixed wireless communications and 5G to improve our lives include:

• Smart cities capable of better logistics and better security.
• Renewable energy solutions in America.
• Healthcare with fewer limitations than ever before.
• Education that is empowered through greater access and better tools.
• Precision agriculture provides a more efficient way to farm.
• Smart manufacturing will allow businesses to cut costs and streamline production.
• Autonomous vehicles will help reduce accidents and provide new services.
• Retail experiences will see a boost through better logistics, security, and fewer errors.

Fixed wireless has many applications and will also improve the way millions of Americans use the Internet in their homes. Because 5G is powering fixed wireless capabilities that can surpass wired broadband speeds, it becomes a much more attractive option for home Internet. Today, fixed wireless still has its place in many rural and underserved markets where it can provide a smoother experience than the alternative, satellite Internet. But the fifth generation of wireless will provide the necessary framework to make high-speed Internet a reality for millions of rural Americans and even complete in urban markets as an alternative.

Stay Informed on Everything DISH Wireless is Doing

It’s easy to see that a lot is going on for DISH Wireless and 5G as a whole. Many of the exciting things we are going to see from both DISH Wireless and the 5G industry are yet to come and 5G Insider is your destination for updates, industry news, releases, and more. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on DISH Wireless and more as America’s fourth major wireless provider continues to catch the wireless industry by storm!