Today, it was announced that DISH has received $50 million from the Biden administration to help it build out its wireless network.
The goal of the Biden administration’s investment of $50 million with this grant into DISH is to help bring competition to the wireless market. This is part of a bigger push to limit the nation’s reliance on a handful of companies to build our wireless networks.
This money comes from America’s Wireless Innovation Fund. According to the fund, “Although 5G is dynamic, the 5G equipment market is static. A small group of companies dominate the market, some of whom pose a serious national security threat. The lack of competition degrades supply chains, causes higher prices, and prevents emerging players from entering the market.”
In total, this fund hopes to invest $1.5 billion in the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund. All of this with the goal of building out 5G technologies and bringing competition to the market. DISH will help with by working on building an Open 5G network.
“The Open RAN Center for Integration and Deployment (ORCID) will serve a critical role in strengthening the global Open RAN ecosystem and building the next generation of wireless networks,” said Charlie Ergen, co-founder and chairman, EchoStar. “By leveraging DISH’s experience deploying the world’s first standalone Open RAN 5G network, ORCID will be uniquely positioned to test and evaluate Open RAN interoperability, performance and security from domestic and international vendors. We appreciate NTIA’s recognition of DISH and ORCID’s role in driving Open RAN innovation and the Administration’s ongoing commitment to U.S. leadership in wireless connectivity.”
This money comes at a good time for DISH as it works to find money to help complete the buildout of its network. This money can be used for needed research freeing up other money to continue building its network.