Photo by Altiostar

DISH signed a multi-year agreement with a U.S.-based cloud services company it hopes will help advance its mission to launch a standalone 5G network.

Altiostar is the developer of a cloud-native microservice-based Open RAN (O-RAN) solution designed to utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning and enable 4G and 5G applications. DISH has obtained Altiostar’s O-RAN solution under a new contract agreement and will use it to speed up the deployment of new 5G services for potential consumers and businesses.

Altiostar said the O-RAN solution will allow DISH to scale its network depending on the type of 5G applications and services being deployed.  Altiostar’s Open vRAN technology was recently selected and deployed by Japanese mobile operator Rakuten Mobile for the launch of its commercial service earlier this year. The company has also previously partnered with Cisco and Bharti.

DISH Executive Vice President and Chief Network Officer Marc Rouanne commented: “By using an open architecture to build the first standalone 5G network in the U.S., we are able to work with the best vendors from across the supply chain to effectively serve multiple segments, including consumers, enterprises and emerging 5G vertical markets. Altiostar’s proven expertise in O-RAN will allow us to build an open mobile network with the automation, resilience and agility needed to deliver services that will differentiate us in the wireless market.”

Separately, on Wednesday, DISH officially entered the retail wireless market as it completed its $1.4 billion acquisition of Boost Mobile. This acquisition was part of an agreement DISH made with the the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, T-Mobile, and Sprint. DISH agreed that following the completion of the Sprint and T-Mobile merger, it would acquire Sprint’s prepaid businesses and customers, including Boost Mobile.