"AT&T ( No. 37 on the Fortune 500) announced on Tuesday it agreed to purchase a set of wireless licenses from EchoStar for about $23 billion in cash, subject to certain adjustments. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2026. These licenses cover more than 400 markets across the U.S. and are intended to strengthen AT&T's low-band and mid-band spectrum holdings. The company plans to deploy these mid-band licenses, which are compatible with its 5G network, as soon as possible."
"For EchoStar, the deal alleviates Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pressure regarding unused spectrum and eliminates uncertainty around its 5G buildout requirements. "EchoStar and Boost Mobile have met all of the FCC's network buildout milestones," said Echostar co-founder and chairman Charlie Ergen in a statement. "However, this spectrum sale to AT&T and the hybrid MNO (mobile network operator) agreement are critical steps toward resolving the FCC's spectrum utilization concerns.""
AT&T agreed to purchase wireless licenses from EchoStar for about $23 billion in cash, with the transaction expected to close in mid-2026. The licenses cover more than 400 U.S. markets and are intended to strengthen AT&T's low-band and mid-band spectrum holdings, with plans to deploy the mid-band assets promptly to support 5G. The companies expanded their wholesale network agreement to allow EchoStar to operate as a hybrid mobile network operator using the Boost Mobile brand while AT&T remains EchoStar's primary network partner. The deal reduces FCC utilization pressure on EchoStar and coincided with a sharp rise in EchoStar's market capitalization.
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