Ergen: A UScellular Asset Sale Could be an “Opportunity and Positive” for DISH

If UScellular were to sell some of its wireless assets, “under most scenarios that’s an opportunity and a positive for where we’re trying to go,” said Charlie Ergen, chairman of the board of DISH Network and
Echostar. DISH is building a 5G mobile network aimed at competing with wireless giants AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Acquiring UScellular assets could help DISH meet network buildout deadlines. UScellular parent TDS said that it would consider a sale of UScellular network assets. Tom Cullen, DISH executive vice president of corporate development, noted that UScellular “operates in areas that we haven’t fully built out,” which could help meet deployment deadlines. Ergen noted that there might be regulatory constraints on DISH’s ability to buy UScellular assets but that those constraints would be less likely for DISH than for other companies.