EchoStar: FCC action creates ‘dark cloud’ of uncertainty

The Federal Communications Commission’s inquiries into EchoStar’s terrestrial wireless and satellite businesses are already harming the company’s plans to succeed as the fourth facilities-based U.S. wireless carrier. That’s what EchoStar told the agency in a nearly 90-page filing. The FCC recently opened public notices about EchoStar’s 5G buildout and its use of the 2 GHz spectrum band for mobile satellite services. An initial round of comments came due on May 27, with a second deadline for reply comments set for June 6. The FCC’s actions have created a “dark cloud of uncertainty” over EchoStar’s spectrum rights and its open RAN 5G network, the company said in the filing. While EchoStar’s biggest spectrum foe right now is SpaceX, other stakeholders in the wireless industry are coming to its defense and urging the FCC to back off. “We would strongly urge the Commission to refrain from taking any actions that would modify EchoStar’s current buildout timeline or alter EchoStar’s existing spectrum licenses,” a group of more than 35 general contractors that work with EchoStar told the FCC.