Tags: Space Debris, Breeze M, Russia
Publication: WSJ.com
Publication Date: 11/16/2012

Dish has expressed interest in partners with wireless infrastructure such as antennas but Google is shaping up as a good option. Image credit: David Schexnaydre

Google and Dish Network Corp. are discussing the possibility of a partnership to offer a new wireless services that would compete with that of AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless. Google is not Dish’s only option; according to reports, the satellite-TV provider has discussed similar deals with other companies as well.

Dish Network has been vocal over the past year about finding a partner to build a wireless network with the spectrum it has acquired sin 2008. The company has expressed interest in partnering with a firm that already has wireless infrastructure capabilities but doesn’t offer wireless services. Even though Google doesn’t have the expertise Dish is looking for, it has more than $45 billion to use in building a new network.

If Google and Dish go through with the partnership, it would be another step forward for Google’s expansion. This week, the company began installing fiber-optic cable in Kansas City, Kan. to offer high-speed Internet and video service, which competes with firms such as Time Warner Cable and even Dish. Kansas is a test for what could be a nation-wide service offered by Google.

As Dish waits for regulatory approval to use its spectrum for a wireless service, its efforts to find a partner for this shows its commitment toward the project. However, analysts say it could be three or four more years before Dish can actually offer a nationwide wireless network.

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