Dish Network passed several major milestones during 2022. It broadcast its 5G signal to more than 10,000 cell towers across the US and managed to pass a government-mandated goal of covering 20% of the US population with its 5G network.

That makes 2023 the year to watch Dish. Here's why:

First, the company is already beginning to market its open RAN, cloud-native 5G network to enterprise developers. That effort should mature throughout 2023.

Second, the company has promised to launch "disruptive" pricing via its new Boost Infinite brand sometime in the first quarter of 2023. That pricing will likely leverage Dish's growing 5G network as well as the company's MVNO deals with AT&T and T-Mobile.

Third, Dish is required to expand its 5G network to fully 70% of the US population by June 2023. To do so, it will likely need to light up thousands of additional cell towers. The company has said it's adding new cell towers to its network at the rate of 1,000 per month.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Dish should be able to give the market a clear view of its overall strategy. The company has been collecting spectrum and partnering with vendors for more than a decade. Next year, it should be able to provide details about how it plans to assemble all the pieces into a cohesive whole.

Dish has already provided some hints about how it might sell 5G to both consumers and enterprises. But during 2023, that sales strategy likely will begin to crystallize.

Of course, whether Dish has a winning hand in 5G remains to be seen. It will probably take several more years to determine whether the company can be successful competing against heavyweights like Verizon and Comcast.

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— Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading | @mikeddano