AT&T has announced a $23 billion acquisition of EchoStar’s spectrum, marking the largest wireless deal since T-Mobile’s merger with Sprint. This acquisition will add approximately 50 MHz of low-band and mid-band spectrum to AT&T’s holdings, covering virtually every U.S. market and enhancing its leadership in advanced connectivity across 5G and fiber.
Specifically, EchoStar will sell 3.45 GHz and 600 MHz spectrum licenses to AT&T, subject to regulatory approval. The parties have also entered into a “hybrid” mobile network operator (MNO) relationship, allowing Boost Mobile subscribers to access connectivity through Boost’s cloud-native 5G core and AT&T’s cell sites, without service interruptions. EchoStar’s RAN network will be decommissioned over time. Reportedly, this transaction aids EchoStar in addressing the FCC’s concerns regarding spectrum utilization.
