Dish Acts to Boost Value of Spectrum

Dish Network took steps in Washington that could increase the value of its spectrum by about $1 billion, according to an analyst estimate, a move that comes as the company is exploring several avenues to enter the wireless industry. Questions have swirled inside the telecom industry for more than a year about what Dish plans to do with its large swath of spectrum.

Through dealings at the Federal Communications Commission, Dish agreed to scrap plans to use its spectrum for a high-powered national TV broadcast service in order to quell concerns that it could cause interference with other systems. In return, Dish is seeking technical changes that would allow its spectrum to be used for downloading of information. The changes cause less interference with neighboring spectrum, therefore allowing Dish to use more of what it currently owns.