Dish will use Sprint 4G technology for a Texas fixed broadband trial in mid-2014 that, in theory, could deliver up to 60 Mbit/s downloads.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

December 17, 2013

2 Min Read
Dish Taps Sprint for 4G Trial in Texas

Dish revealed Tuesday that it plans to use Sprint's 4G spectrum to try out a fixed broadband service deep in the heart of Texas next year.

Sprint and Dish "plan to jointly develop and deploy a fixed wireless broadband service, on a trial basis, in Corpus Christi, TX that will be available in the middle of 2014," the pair said in a press release. "The service will initially be available in limited areas of Corpus Christi with a plan to expand into additional markets in the future."

Depending on location, Dish Network LLC (Nasdaq: DISH) will install either a "ruggedized outdoor router" or an indoor system to beam broadband to the site. The service will use the Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) 2.5GHz spectrum for Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex (LTE TDD) 4G service, sometimes called TD-LTE too. (See: Defining 4G: What the Heck Is LTE TDD?)

Sprint said the service, which uses technology originally deployed by Clearwire, offers downloads of 50-60 Mbit/s at the moment. It can boost that download speed up to 2 Gbit/s over time through its Spark network overlay program.

Why this matters
Dish has its own spectrum that it could use for a fixed wireless service. The trial with Sprint, in which Dish was trying to grab a stake just a few months ago, suggests that it is easier for the operator to use someone else's network than build one on its own right now. Dish has a similar mobile broadband deal in place with the regional operator Ntelos Inc. (Nasdaq: NTLO)

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— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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