Latest news with #EchoStar
Phone Arena
4 hours ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
EchoStar pays $500M to stay out of bankruptcy and to buy time for FCC talks
An 8-K filing made by EchoStar indicates that the parent company of the nation's fourth largest wireless carrier, Boost Mobile, and Dish Network, plans on making a debt-interest payment on Friday of more than $500 million. The payment is actually due on Monday and by paying the $500 million, EchoStar gets to delay filing for bankruptcy although it will not make a second payment due July 1st. EchoStar hopes that by making one of the two payments due in the coming week, it has bought itself some time to negotiate with the FCC. The regulatory agency's Chairman, Brendan Carr, has previously threatened to take away some of EchoStar's spectrum licenses. The second interest payment due July 1st, which EchoStar won't pay, comes to $114 million and by refusing to make the payment, a 30-day grace period is triggered. While EchoStar has enough cash on hand to make both interest payments on time, the company is holding off on one of them in order to gain some leverage in negotiations with the FCC. Carr wants EchoStar to give up licenses on spectrum that he says the company isn't using. The FCC Chairman said, "It's my view that right now, we are really working hard to make sure this valuable public resource of spectrum is put to use. No new news to break, but I think the status quo needs to change. There's lots of different paths forward there and all options are still on the table at the FCC." -FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Former FCC chief of staff Blair Levin, who now works as a policy analyst at New Street Research, says that Carr wants to "force a reallocation of spectrum from EchoStar to others." What Levin is talking about is the 2 GHz spectrum licensed by EchoStar which FCC Chairman Carr asked EchoStar about in a letter. Carr wants to know exactly how often EchoStar is using the 2 GHz band. The reason why Carr is so interested in EchoStar's 2 GHz usage is because Elon Musk's SpaceX has its eyes on the 2 GHz spectrum because it is superior for satellite to cellphone communications than the airwaves that SpaceX uses now. The FCC chairman had no comment about a meeting he supposedly attended at the White House earlier this month with President Donald Trump and EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
The Star
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Trump wants EchoStar, FCC to reach 'amicable' deal over wireless licenses, company says
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a "One Big Beautiful" event at the White House in Washington, DC., U.S., June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump prodded Dish TV parent EchoStar Corp and Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr earlier this month to reach an amicable deal over the fate of the company's wireless spectrum licenses, the company said in a filing on Friday. In May, the FCC told EchoStar it was investigating the company's compliance obligations to provide 5G service in the United States, questioning EchoStar's buildout extension and mobile-satellite service. Bloomberg News first reported that Trump met on June 12 with EchoStar Chair Charlie Ergen and later called Carr to take part in the meeting. EchoStar has been trying to shield its cache of wireless spectrum licenses from the threat of revocation by the FCC. The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Friday and had previously declined to confirm the meeting took place. Carr did not immediately comment on the report on Friday but at a monthly FCC press conference on Thursday he told reporters, regarding EchoStar, that the "status quo needs to change" and added there was a "narrow window of opportunity here." EchoStar said in a filing on Friday that Trump "encouraged the parties involved to reach an amicable resolution." Ergen told Carr this month any reconsideration of the construction deadline extensions or revision to the 2 GHz band's sharing rules "would threaten the viability of EchoStar's current operations and future plans." U.S. satellite TV provider DirecTV terminated its agreement to acquire EchoStar's satellite television business last year, which includes rival Dish TV, over a failed debt-exchange offer. EchoStar said the FCC review was "harming EchoStar's ongoing deployment and threaten its viability as a wireless provider as well as endanger the video and broadband satellite services upon which millions of consumers rely." EchoStar previously disclosed that it missed roughly $500 million in interest payments, citing uncertainty around the ongoing FCC review but said on Friday that based on current discussions with the commission it was making interest payments to "further extend the timeline for EchoStar to explore an acceptable resolution of the FCC's stated concerns." EchoStar said on Friday that it was forgoing some other interest payments, citing uncertainty around the FCC review. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Mark Porter and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
CNA
12 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
Trump wants EchoStar, FCC to reach 'amicable' deal over wireless licenses, company says
WASHINGTON :President Donald Trump prodded Dish TV parent EchoStar Corp and Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr earlier this month to reach an amicable deal over the fate of the company's wireless spectrum licenses, the company said in a filing on Friday. In May, the FCC told EchoStar it was investigating the company's compliance obligations to provide 5G service in the United States, questioning EchoStar's buildout extension and mobile-satellite service. Bloomberg News first reported that Trump met on June 12 with EchoStar Chair Charlie Ergen and later called Carr to take part in the meeting. EchoStar has been trying to shield its cache of wireless spectrum licenses from the threat of revocation by the FCC. The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Friday and had previously declined to confirm the meeting took place. Carr did not immediately comment on the report on Friday but at a monthly FCC press conference on Thursday he told reporters, regarding EchoStar, that the "status quo needs to change" and added there was a "narrow window of opportunity here." EchoStar said in a filing on Friday that Trump "encouraged the parties involved to reach an amicable resolution." Ergen told Carr this month any reconsideration of the construction deadline extensions or revision to the 2 GHz band's sharing rules "would threaten the viability of EchoStar's current operations and future plans." U.S. satellite TV provider DirecTV terminated its agreement to acquire EchoStar's satellite television business last year, which includes rival Dish TV, over a failed debt-exchange offer. EchoStar said the FCC review was "harming EchoStar's ongoing deployment and threaten its viability as a wireless provider as well as endanger the video and broadband satellite services upon which millions of consumers rely." EchoStar previously disclosed that it missed roughly $500 million in interest payments, citing uncertainty around the ongoing FCC review but said on Friday that based on current discussions with the commission it was making interest payments to "further extend the timeline for EchoStar to explore an acceptable resolution of the FCC's stated concerns."
Reuters
12 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
Trump wants EchoStar, FCC to reach 'amicable' deal over wireless licenses, company says
WASHINGTON, June 27 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump prodded Dish TV parent EchoStar Corp (SATS.O), opens new tab and Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr earlier this month to reach an amicable deal over the fate of the company's wireless spectrum licenses, the company said in a filing on Friday. In May, the FCC told EchoStar it was investigating the company's compliance obligations to provide 5G service in the United States, questioning EchoStar's buildout extension and mobile-satellite service. Bloomberg News first reported that Trump met on June 12 with EchoStar Chair Charlie Ergen and later called Carr to take part in the meeting. EchoStar has been trying to shield its cache of wireless spectrum licenses from the threat of revocation by the FCC. The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Friday and had previously declined to confirm the meeting took place. Carr did not immediately comment on the report on Friday but at a monthly FCC press conference on Thursday he told reporters, regarding EchoStar, that the "status quo needs to change" and added there was a "narrow window of opportunity here." EchoStar said in a filing on Friday that Trump "encouraged the parties involved to reach an amicable resolution." Ergen told Carr this month any reconsideration of the construction deadline extensions or revision to the 2 GHz band's sharing rules "would threaten the viability of EchoStar's current operations and future plans." U.S. satellite TV provider DirecTV terminated its agreement to acquire EchoStar's satellite television business last year, which includes rival Dish TV, over a failed debt-exchange offer. EchoStar said the FCC review was "harming EchoStar's ongoing deployment and threaten its viability as a wireless provider as well as endanger the video and broadband satellite services upon which millions of consumers rely." EchoStar previously disclosed that it missed roughly $500 million in interest payments, citing uncertainty around the ongoing FCC review but said on Friday that based on current discussions with the commission it was making interest payments to "further extend the timeline for EchoStar to explore an acceptable resolution of the FCC's stated concerns." EchoStar said on Friday that it was forgoing some other interest payments, citing uncertainty around the FCC review.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump wants EchoStar, FCC to reach 'amicable' deal over wireless licenses, company says
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump prodded Dish TV parent EchoStar Corp and Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr earlier this month to reach an amicable deal over the fate of the company's wireless spectrum licenses, the company said in a filing on Friday. In May, the FCC told EchoStar it was investigating the company's compliance obligations to provide 5G service in the United States, questioning EchoStar's buildout extension and mobile-satellite service. Bloomberg News first reported that Trump met on June 12 with EchoStar Chair Charlie Ergen and later called Carr to take part in the meeting. EchoStar has been trying to shield its cache of wireless spectrum licenses from the threat of revocation by the FCC. The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Friday and had previously declined to confirm the meeting took place. Carr did not immediately comment on the report on Friday but at a monthly FCC press conference on Thursday he told reporters, regarding EchoStar, that the "status quo needs to change" and added there was a "narrow window of opportunity here." EchoStar said in a filing on Friday that Trump "encouraged the parties involved to reach an amicable resolution." Ergen told Carr this month any reconsideration of the construction deadline extensions or revision to the 2 GHz band's sharing rules "would threaten the viability of EchoStar's current operations and future plans." U.S. satellite TV provider DirecTV terminated its agreement to acquire EchoStar's satellite television business last year, which includes rival Dish TV, over a failed debt-exchange offer. EchoStar said the FCC review was "harming EchoStar's ongoing deployment and threaten its viability as a wireless provider as well as endanger the video and broadband satellite services upon which millions of consumers rely." EchoStar previously disclosed that it missed roughly $500 million in interest payments, citing uncertainty around the ongoing FCC review but said on Friday that based on current discussions with the commission it was making interest payments to "further extend the timeline for EchoStar to explore an acceptable resolution of the FCC's stated concerns." EchoStar said on Friday that it was forgoing some other interest payments, citing uncertainty around the FCC review. Sign in to access your portfolio
