FCC to Review EchoStar’s 5G Compliance and Spectrum License Obligations

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has announced a formal review into EchoStar Corporation’s compliance with its federal spectrum license obligations. In a letter addressed to EchoStar Chairman Charles W. Ergen, Carr outlined concerns about EchoStar’s failure to meet agreed-upon 5G buildout requirements, originally set in a 2019 FCC decision.
Under those 2019 terms, EchoStar (then DISH Network) committed to covering 70% of the population in its AWS-4 and 700 MHz licensed areas, and 75% in H Block and 600 MHz areas, by June 14, 2025. These milestones were part of a broader agreement to avoid spectrum warehousing and to bring high-speed wireless services to underserved and rural areas.
Carr criticized a September 2024 bureau-level decision under the previous administration, which postponed key buildout deadlines and watered down enforcement consequences. This decision, made without a full Commission vote, allowed EchoStar to delay its nationwide 5G rollout commitments, despite previous shortfalls in 2017 and 2018.
With the current December 2024 milestone submissions under scrutiny, the FCC will:
• Investigate whether EchoStar has met its latest buildout obligations.
• Seek public comment on a pending petition for reconsideration of the 2024 extension.
• Launch a broader inquiry into MSS (Mobile Satellite Service) spectrum use in the 2 GHz band by EchoStar or its affiliates.
Carr emphasized the FCC’s mandate to ensure spectrum is used efficiently and for public benefit: “The deployment of broadband service and the robust use of the nation’s spectrum are of paramount importance to the FCC.”
The outcome of this review could have significant implications for EchoStar, including the potential loss of spectrum licenses or financial penalties if obligations remain unmet.