DISH bends federal rules to gain licenses from FCC

 

(FREE BEACON) DISH Network, whose co-founder is a major Democratic donor, cashed in on a $3.3 billion taxpayer-funded discount to purchase wireless licenses from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Friday.

Using subsidiaries to capitalize on an FCC designation designed to help small businesses, DISH was able to purchase nearly half of the wireless licenses sold at the government auction, known as AWS-3. The satellite cable television company currently does not offer cellular service.

DISH secured $13.3 billion in wireless spectrum at the auction by bidding through smaller companies that qualify for the FCC’s “designated entity” program (DE), which is intended to foster competition by allowing smaller and minority businesses to compete. DE companies, which have less than $15 million in revenue, receive discounts when bidding for wireless licenses.

DISH bends federal rules to gain licenses from FCC
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Tue, 03 Feb 2015 15:30:53 GMT